Advertisement

View synonyms for highball

highball

[ hahy-bawl ]

noun

  1. a drink of whiskey mixed with club soda or ginger ale and served with ice in a tall glass.
  2. Railroads.
    1. a signal to start a train, given with the hand or with a lamp.
    2. a signal for a train to move at full speed.
  3. Military Slang. a hand salute.


verb (used without object)

  1. Slang. to move at full speed.

verb (used with object)

  1. to signal to (the engineer of a train) to proceed.

highball

/ ˈhaɪˌbɔːl /

noun

  1. a long iced drink consisting of a spirit base with water, soda water, etc
  2. (originally in railway use) a signal that the way ahead is clear and one may proceed
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


verb

  1. intr to move at great speed
  2. tr to drive (a vehicle) at great speed
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of highball1

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; high + ball 1
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of highball1

C19: (in sense 2) from the early railway signal consisting of a ball hoisted to the top of a pole
Discover More

Example Sentences

Ned, hiding from his father with the only true comfort he knows, a highball glass, is also a part of the playroom club.

From Time

Usually made with gin or bourbon, it’s a similarly tart, bubbly highball, also made with lime and a slightly saline mineral water, also perfect for defying wretched summers.

So it only seems fitting to break out the ice and make highballs or other cooling concoctions.

Pursuit of happiness at our house involved a highball for Dad and an Old Fashioned for Mom.

Having completed her quorum, and distributed her tickets, Mrs. Neff made ready to depart by attacking her highball again.

She put out her hand to him, but he did not see it; he set off to find some one to lead him to a Scotch highball.

Say, they had a highball or that,—all he had to do was to drop the tiniest speck from the little vial into the drink.

I believe you had reached the highball incident in your recital.

It is not particularly significant that I started the summer on Highball and ended it on Budweiser.

Advertisement

Related Words

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


high as a kitehigh-bandwidth digital content protection