punchball

[puhnch-bawl]

noun

1. a form of playground or street baseball in which a rubber ball is batted with the fist.

punchball

/ ˈpʌntʃˌbɔːl /

noun

1. a stuffed or inflated ball, supported by a flexible rod, that is punched for exercise, esp boxing training

2. a game resembling baseball in which a light ball is struck with the fist

Word History and Origins

Origin of punchball¹

First recorded in 1930–35; punch ¹ + ball ¹

Example Sentences

As a child in Brownsville, Brooklyn, Mr. Weisselberg played punchball until dark and rode the city bus to school for 15 cents.

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I would play basketball in the mornings with the boys who were just reaching their teens, and then stoop ball or punchball on the block with boys my age.

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Partnership with governments probably beats being a punchball.

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My friends and I on Park Terrace West and Park Terrace East in the Inwood section of Manhattan had a punchball field in Isham Park.

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Growing up, I played stickball, punchball and stoopball—the staples of a New York City childhood.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal