golf ball

American  

noun

1. a small, white ball with a tough cover and a resilient core of rubber, used in playing golf.

2. a ball-shaped printing element on certain electric typewriters.

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golf ball British  

noun

1. a small resilient, usually white, ball of either two-piece or three-piece construction, the former consisting of a solid inner core with a thick covering of toughened material, the latter consisting of a liquid centre, rubber-wound core, and a thin layer of balata

2. (in some electric typewriters) a small detachable metal sphere, around the surface of which type characters are arranged

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Etymology

Origin of golf ball

First recorded in 1535–45

Example Sentences

He openly supports potential future rule changes that would rollback golf ball technology to limit players’ distance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

“As long as I can still hit the golf ball, I’ll do it,” Nicklaus said, adding that he’s played only twice since the start of 2025.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Within days, the 12-year-old was undergoing emergency neurosurgery to drain fluid from her brain caused by a growth bigger than a golf ball.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026

And when the theatrical comedy is in jeopardy, revitalizing this type of juvenility for low-brow laughs, now tempered even further to be digested between phone scrolls, feels like a golf ball to the forehead.

From Salon • Jul. 27, 2025

Two spools of thread, one white chess bishop, and six parts of a jigsaw puzzle...A teaspoon and a closed box of safety matches...A radish, two pennies, a nickel, and a golf ball.

From "Mr. Popper's Penguins" by Florence Atwater and Richard Atwater