ball
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: bôl
ipa: /bɔːl/
ipa: /baːl/
ipa: /bɔl/
ipa: /bɑl/
homophone: bawl
homophone: (cot–caught merger) Basle
rhymes: -ɔːl
Forms: form: balls
Etymology: From Middle English bal, ball, balle, from an unattested Old English *beall, *bealla (“round object, ball”) or Old Norse bǫllr (“a ball”), both from Proto-Germanic *balluz, *ballô (“ball”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰol-n- (“ball, bubble”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to blow, inflate, swell”).
Cognate with Old Saxon ball, Dutch bal, Old High German bal, ballo (German Ball (“ball”); Ballen (“bale”)). Related forms in Romance are borrowings from Germanic. See also balloon, bale.
Senses: examples: text: a ball of spittle; a fecal ball
glosses: A solid or hollow sphere, or roughly spherical mass.
examples: text: a ball of wool; a ball of twine
glosses: A solid or hollow sphere, or roughly spherical mass.
A quantity of string, thread, etc., wound into a spherical shape.
topics: mathematics
sciences
glosses: Homologue or analogue of a disk in the Euclidean plane.
In 3-dimensional Euclidean space, the volume bounded by a sphere.
topics: mathematics
sciences
glosses: Homologue or analogue of a disk in the Euclidean plane.
The set of points in a metric space of any number of dimensions lying within a given distance (the radius) of a given point.
topics: mathematics
sciences
glosses: Homologue or analogue of a disk in the Euclidean plane.
The set of points in a topological space lying within some open set containing a given point.
topics: ballistics
engineering
firearms
government
military
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
physics
politics
tools
war
weaponry
glosses: A solid, spherical nonexplosive missile for a cannon, rifle, gun, etc.
A jacketed non-expanding bullet, typically of military origin.
examples: text: […] the Good Old Cause, which, as they seemed to represent it, smelt of Gunpowder and ball […]
ref: 1659, Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey, England’s Confusion, London, page 7:
text: I gave each of them a Musket with a Firelock on it, and about eight Charges of Powder and Ball, charging them to be very good Husbands of both, and not to use either of them but upon urgent Occasion.
ref: 1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC, page 294:
text: […] some headstrong Maroons were using a soldier of Captain Craskell’s ill, and compelling him to write to his commander, that it was too late to do any thing good, and that they wanted nothing, having got plenty of powder and ball […]
ref: 1803, Robert Charles Dallas, The History of the Maroons, London: Longman and Rees, Volume 1, Letter 5, p. 148:
text: This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship.
ref: 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 1, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 1:
topics: ballistics
engineering
firearms
government
military
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
physics
politics
tools
war
weaponry
glosses: A solid, spherical nonexplosive missile for a cannon, rifle, gun, etc.
Such bullets collectively.
examples: text: the ball of the thumb
glosses: A roundish, protuberant portion of some part of the body.
topics: anatomy
medicine
sciences
glosses: A roundish, protuberant portion of some part of the body.
The front of the bottom of the foot, just behind the toes.
examples: text: c. 1712', Joseph Addison, Ode to the Creator of the World
What, though in solemn Silence, all / Move round the dark terrestrial Ball!
text: Thus, if eternal Justice rules the ball, / Thus shall your wives, and thus your children fall;
ref: 1717, Alexander Pope, Elegy to the Memory of an Unfortunate Lady:
glosses: The globe; the earthly sphere.
examples: text: Ivor had acquired more than a mile of fishing rights with the house; he was not at all a good fisherman, but one must do something; one generally, however, banged a ball with a squash-racket against a wall.
ref: 1922, Michael Arlen, “3/19/2”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
text: Graham secured victory with five minutes left, coolly lifting the ball over Asmir Begovic.
ref: 2011 October 2, Aled Williams, “Swansea 2-0 Stoke”, in BBC Sport Wales:
topics: hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: An object that is the focus of many sports and games, in which it may be thrown, caught, kicked, bounced, rolled, chased, retrieved, hit with an instrument, spun, etc., usually roughly spherical or ovoid but whose size, weight, bounciness, colour, etc. differ according to the game
examples: text: The children were playing ball on the beach.
text: George played his college ball at Stanford.
topics: hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: An object that is the focus of many sports and games, in which it may be thrown, caught, kicked, bounced, rolled, chased, retrieved, hit with an instrument, spun, etc., usually roughly spherical or ovoid but whose size, weight, bounciness, colour, etc. differ according to the game
Any sport or game involving a ball; its play, literally or figuratively.
topics: ball-games
baseball
games
hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: An object that is the focus of many sports and games, in which it may be thrown, caught, kicked, bounced, rolled, chased, retrieved, hit with an instrument, spun, etc., usually roughly spherical or ovoid but whose size, weight, bounciness, colour, etc. differ according to the game
A pitch that falls outside of the strike zone.
examples: text: If you get to a million points, you get another ball.
topics: hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: An object that is the focus of many sports and games, in which it may be thrown, caught, kicked, bounced, rolled, chased, retrieved, hit with an instrument, spun, etc., usually roughly spherical or ovoid but whose size, weight, bounciness, colour, etc. differ according to the game
An opportunity to launch the pinball into play.
qualifier: pinball
topics: ball-games
cricket
games
hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: An object that is the focus of many sports and games, in which it may be thrown, caught, kicked, bounced, rolled, chased, retrieved, hit with an instrument, spun, etc., usually roughly spherical or ovoid but whose size, weight, bounciness, colour, etc. differ according to the game
A single delivery by the bowler, six of which make up an over.
examples: text: After Essien's poor attempt flew into the stands, Rodrigo Moreno—Bolton's on-loan winger from Benfica who was making his full Premier League debut—nearly exposed the Blues with a lovely ball for Johan Elmander, but it just skipped away from his team-mate's toes.
ref: 2010 December 29, Chris Whyatt, “Chelsea 1-0 Bolton”, in BBC:
text: Shetland increased the lead in the 22nd minute when Kirkness shot first time from a ball that was fired into the area from outside the 25-metre line.
ref: 2014 October 21, Jim Tait, “Hockey girls through to next round”, in Shetland Times:
text: Mark Wright sent a speculative ball for me to chase after and I found myself leaving Tony Adams in my wake, with only Seaman to beat.
ref: 2019, Robbie Fowler, My Life In Football: Goals, Glory & The Lessons I've Learnt, Kings Road Publishing, →ISBN:
topics: hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: An object that is the focus of many sports and games, in which it may be thrown, caught, kicked, bounced, rolled, chased, retrieved, hit with an instrument, spun, etc., usually roughly spherical or ovoid but whose size, weight, bounciness, colour, etc. differ according to the game
a kick (or hit in e.g. field hockey) of the ball towards where one or more teammates is expected to be. (Distinguished from a pass by a longer distance travelled or less specific target point.)
topics: hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: An object that is the focus of many sports and games, in which it may be thrown, caught, kicked, bounced, rolled, chased, retrieved, hit with an instrument, spun, etc., usually roughly spherical or ovoid but whose size, weight, bounciness, colour, etc. differ according to the game
An apparatus.
qualifier: rhythmic gymnastics
topics: hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: An object that is the focus of many sports and games, in which it may be thrown, caught, kicked, bounced, rolled, chased, retrieved, hit with an instrument, spun, etc., usually roughly spherical or ovoid but whose size, weight, bounciness, colour, etc. differ according to the game
An apparatus.
An apparatus program with a ball.
qualifier: rhythmic gymnastics
examples: text: That’s a load of balls, and you know it!
glosses: A testicle.
Nonsense.
examples: text: I doubt he’s got the balls to tell you off.
glosses: A testicle.
Courage.
topics: media
printing
publishing
glosses: A leather-covered cushion, fastened to a handle called a ballstock; formerly used by printers for inking the form, then superseded by the roller.
examples: text: The laxative alterative has not this advantage, the aloes, of which it is composed, being extremely bitter, and therefore requiring to be given in the form of a ball.
ref: 1842, James White, A compendium of the veterinary art:
topics: farriery
hobbies
horses
lifestyle
pets
sports
glosses: A large pill, a form in which medicine was given to horses; a bolus.
examples: text: I'ma let these niggas have it, go on stage and throw a forty ball
ref: 2022 July 22, “Convict Life (Wanna Be Alone)”, YoungBoy Never Broke Again (lyrics):
text: Forty ball all in these leather jeans
Diamonds studs, I make a bum nigga think twice
ref: 2022 September 16, “Hands on the Floor” (track 4, 0:40 from the start), in Su'Lan (lyrics), Forever Da Gang:
text: Forty ball on my wrist, nigga, I cashed out on it (Damn)
Forty bands on my neck, nigga, I maxed out on it (Damn)
ref: 2022 November 23, “10PM in ATL” (track 2), in GoldenBoy Countup (lyrics), Chill:
text: Dropped a twenty ball in Gallery Department
ref: 2022 November 25, “Gallery” (track 6), in OhGeesy (lyrics), GEEZYWORLD 2:
glosses: One thousand US dollars.
Synonyms: word: sphere
word: globe
sense: testicle
word: testicle
sense: nonsense
word: nonsense
sense: courage
word: chutzpah
sense: courage
word: guts
sense: courage
word: nerve
Derived terms: word: 8 ball
word: address the ball
word: advance the ball
word: airball
word: air ball
word: alley ball
word: anchor ball
word: arm ball
word: at 'em ball
word: backball
word: badminton ball
word: bait ball
word: bald as a billiard ball
word: ball alley
word: ball and chain
word: ball-and-pillow structure
word: ball and socket
word: ball-and-socket joint
word: ball and socket joint
word: ball and stick
word: ball-and-stick model
word: ballbag
word: ball bag
word: ball-barrow
word: ball bearing
word: ball-bearing
word: ball boy
word: ballboy
word: ball-boy
word: ball-bust
word: ballbusting
word: ball-by-ball
word: ball cactus
word: ballcap
word: ball cap
word: ball carrier
word: ball-cartridge
word: ball chain
word: ball change
word: ball clay
word: ballclay
word: ball clicker
word: ballclub
word: ball-club
word: ball club
word: ballcock
word: ball cock
word: ballcourt
word: balldom
word: balldress
word: ballean
word: ball fern
word: ball field
word: ballfield
word: ball flower
word: ball-flower
word: ball gag
word: ballgag
word: ball-game
word: ball game
word: ball girl
word: ball-girl
word: ballgoer
word: ball-goer
word: ball gown
word: ball-gowned
word: ball grid array
word: ballhandler
word: ballhandling
word: ball hawk
word: ballhawk
word: ball-hawking
word: ballhead
word: ball-head onion
word: ball hockey
word: ball hog
word: ball in hand
word: ballize
word: balljoint
word: ball joint
word: balljuice
word: ballkicker
word: ball kid
word: ball-less
word: ballless
word: ball lightning
word: ball-like
word: balllike
word: ball load
word: ball machine
word: ballmaker
word: ball mill
taxonomic: Neslia paniculata
word: ball mustard
word: ball of chalk
word: ball of fire
word: ball of fluff
word: ball of the foot
word: ball of the thumb
word: ball-on-three-balls test
word: ball out
word: ballout
word: ball park
word: ballpark
word: ball-park
word: ball park estimate
word: ball-park estimate
word: ball-park estimation
word: ball park estimation
word: ball park figure
word: ball-peen
word: ball-peen hammer
word: ball-pein hammer
word: ball pen
word: ball pit
word: ball player
word: ball-player
word: ballplaying
word: ball-playing
word: ballpoint
word: ball-point pen
word: ball pond
word: ball pool
word: ball-proof
word: ballproof
word: ball python
word: ball race
word: ballrace
word: ball return
word: ball-shaped
word: ball signal
word: ball snake
word: balls to the wall
word: ball-tailed cat
word: ball-up
word: ball up
word: ball valve
word: ball vein
word: ball washer
word: ballyard
word: banana ball
word: bandy-ball
word: bandyball
word: bank-a-ball
word: Baoding ball
word: baseball
word: base-ball
word: base ball
word: base on balls
word: base-on-balls
word: basketball
word: bat and ball
word: batting average on balls in play
word: battleball
word: Bazball
word: b-ball
word: beachball
word: beach ball
word: beach ball diagram
word: beach ball plot
word: bean ball
word: beanball
word: bee ball
word: beeball
word: behind the 8-ball
word: behind the eight ball
word: behind the eight-ball
word: belle of the ball
word: benchball
word: Ben Wa ball
word: best-ball
word: best ball
word: better ball
word: billiard ball
word: bioball
word: bird ball
word: birthing ball
word: blackball
word: bladderball
word: blowball
word: blue-ball
word: blueball
word: boogerball
word: bosu ball
word: bouncy ball
word: bow ball
word: bowling ball
word: boxball
word: brainball
word: brandy ball
word: brandy-ball
word: brass balls
word: breaking ball
word: broomball
word: bucketball
word: buckyball
word: bump ball
word: bunnyball
word: butterball
word: buttonball
word: button-ball
word: cabbageball
word: cage ball
word: cageball
word: cake ball
word: call balls and strikes
word: call the ball
word: Calvinball
word: camp-ball
word: caneball
word: cannon ball
word: cannon-ball
word: cannonball
word: cap and ball
word: captain ball
word: carpetball
word: carry the ball
word: catchball
word: catch no ball
word: catch no balls
word: cheeseball
word: cheese ball
word: chewing-ball
word: chewing ball
word: chicken ball
word: Chinese eight-ball
word: clacker balls
word: closed ball
word: cluster-ball
word: clusterball
word: coal ball
word: coalball
word: cock and ball torture
word: codeball
word: contact ball
word: corkball
word: cornball
word: cotton ball
word: cotton wool ball
word: countryball
word: cramp ball
word: cricket ball
word: croquet ball
word: crudball
word: crystal ball
word: cue ball
word: cumball
word: cup-and-ball
word: curveball
word: dartball
word: dead ball
word: dead-ball era
word: deball
word: deedlee ball
word: deedly ball
word: demolition ball
word: diamond ball
word: dirtball
word: disco ball
word: dodgeball
word: dodge ball
word: dot ball
word: doughball
word: drop-ball
word: drop the ball
word: dryer ball
word: dungball
word: dust-ball
word: dustball
word: earball
word: earth ball
word: Earth ball
word: earthball
word: eggball
word: eight ball
word: eight-ball
word: emery ball
word: executive ball clicker
word: exercise ball
word: eye-ball
word: eyeball
word: fair ball
word: fancy ball
word: fastball
word: fat ball
word: fieldball
word: fire-ball
word: fireball
word: fish ball
word: fish-ball
word: fishball
word: fistball
word: fitness ball
word: flagball
word: flash-ball
word: floorball
word: fluffball
word: flutterball
word: flyball
word: fly ball
word: football
word: foot ball
word: foot-ball
word: forkball
word: foul ball
word: fourball
word: four-ball
word: four ball
word: frame ball
word: freeball
word: free ball
word: free-ball
word: fuckball
word: furball
word: fuzz-ball
word: fuzzball
word: fuzzy-ball
word: gaga ball
word: game ball
word: gazing ball
word: geisha ball
word: get the ball rolling
word: ghostball
word: glitterball
word: glueball
word: gluinoball
word: goalball
word: go balls up
word: golf ball
word: goo ball
word: goofball
word: gopher ball
word: greaseball
word: great balls of fire
word: gridiron football ball
word: ground ball
word: ground ball with eyes
word: gumball
word: gutter ball
word: gym ball
word: gyroball
word: hairball
word: hair-ball
word: hairy balls
word: hairy ball theorem
word: half-ball
word: hamster ball
word: hand-ball
word: hand ball
word: handled the ball
word: hanging ball
word: hardball
word: Harvey ball
word: have the ball in one's court
word: head-the-ball
word: heel-ball
word: heelball
word: held ball
word: hero ball
word: hidden-ball trick
word: hide the ball
word: highball
word: hipball
word: hit one out of the ball park
word: hit the ball twice
word: hockey ball
word: holding the ball
word: holy balls
word: hornball
word: horseball
word: house ball
word: hyperball
word: iceball
word: ink ball
word: inkball
word: Italian rice ball
word: jack-ball
word: Japanese rice ball
word: jaw ball
word: jump ball
word: junkball
word: keep one's eye on the ball
word: keep one's eyes on the ball
word: keep the ball rolling
word: kegel ball
word: kegel balls
word: kickball
word: killerball
word: Kin-Ball
word: kin-ball
word: kissing ball
word: kiss my balls
word: kittenball
word: knock one out of the ball park
word: knock the ball out of the park
word: know ball
word: knuckleball
word: koosh ball
word: korfball
word: lake ball
word: lardball
word: late to the ball
word: laundry ball
word: lawyerball
word: leave the ball in someone's court
word: light ball
word: line-ball
word: lint ball
word: live-ball era
word: long ball
word: loofball
word: luck ball
word: matball
word: match ball
word: matza ball
word: matzah ball
word: matzo ball
word: matzoh ball
word: meatball
word: medicine ball
word: melon ball scooper
word: metaball
word: Minié ball
word: mirror ball
word: Moneyball
word: monkey ball
word: moonball
word: moorball
word: moth-ball
word: mothball
word: moth ball
word: motoball
word: Mozart ball
word: mudball
word: multiball
word: murderball
word: mushball
word: muskball
word: musket ball
word: myoball
word: nail ball
word: nanoball
word: nerf ball
word: net-ball
word: netball
word: net ball
word: new ball
word: niggerball
word: nine ball
word: nine-ball
word: no ball
word: nonball
word: nothing ball
word: nutball
word: nut ball
word: object ball
word: oddball
word: off-the-ball
word: old ball
word: omegaball
word: onballer
word: on the ball
word: open ball
word: orange ball buddleja
word: orange-ball-tree
word: orgasm balls
word: other end of the ball
word: out ball
word: oyster ball
word: paddleball
word: paintball
word: palmball
word: passed ball
word: patball
word: peanut ball
word: pepper ball
word: perfume ball
word: physioball
word: pickleball
word: pickle ball
word: pick up the ball and run with it
word: pinball
word: ping pong ball
word: pithball
word: plain ball
word: playball
word: play ball
word: playground ball
word: play the ball
word: play the ball and not the man
word: play the ball not the man
word: play the man and not the ball
word: play the man not the ball
word: Poincaré ball
word: Polandball
word: powerball
word: preball
word: puddle ball
word: puffball
word: pukeball
word: punchball
word: purity ball
word: pushball
word: Q-ball
word: quadball
word: rabbit ball
word: racketball
word: racquetball
word: red ball
word: return ball
word: rice ball
word: ringball
word: rollerball
word: roofball
word: root-ball
word: rootball
word: roundball
word: rubber ball blast grenade
word: rugby ball
word: rum ball
word: run of the ball
word: run of the balls
word: Russian ball
word: sandball
word: sap ball
word: scioptic ball
word: screwball
word: scruffball
word: scuffball
word: scumball
word: scuzzball
word: sea ball
word: second new ball
word: seeing eye ball
word: set the ball rolling
word: shade ball
word: sharp as a bowling ball
word: shitball
word: show half ball
word: silver ball
word: sinkerball
word: skee ball
word: skittleball
word: sky ball
word: slamball
word: sleazeball
word: slime ball
word: slime-ball
word: slimeball
word: sloshball
word: slowball
word: slow ball
word: slushball
word: small ball
word: smallball
word: smokeball
word: smoke-ball
word: smut-ball
word: snooker ball
word: snotball
word: Snowball
word: snowball
word: soccer-ball
word: soccer ball
word: softball
word: sootball
word: soot ball
word: soot-ball
word: sourball
word: spare ball
word: speedball
word: spikeball
word: spit-ball
word: spitball
word: sportsball
word: spot the ball
word: sprayball
word: square ball
word: squash ball
word: squeeze ball
word: stage ball
word: stang ball
word: start the ball rolling
word: stickball
word: stinkball
word: stink ball
word: stock ball
word: stoolball
word: stool-ball
word: stoop ball
word: stoopball
word: streetball
word: stress ball
word: sun ball
word: superball
word: sweatball
word: sweet ball
word: swingball
word: Swiss ball
word: table tennis ball
word: take one's ball and go home
word: take one's bat and ball and go home
word: take one's eye off the ball
word: take one's eyes off the ball
word: take the ball and run with it
word: tan balls
word: tape ball
word: tarball
word: T-ball
word: tchoukball
word: tea ball
word: tee-ball
word: tee ball
word: ten-ball
word: tennis ball
word: teqball
word: that's the way the ball bounces
word: the ball is in someone's court
word: the ball is in your court
word: thistleball
word: three-ball
word: through-ball
word: through ball
word: throwball
word: time-ball
word: time ball
word: too many balls in the air
word: touchball
word: touching ball
word: towball
word: town ball
word: townball
word: trackball
word: trackerball
word: trapball
word: trap ball
word: trap-ball
word: triangleball
word: tunnelball
word: turdball
word: tut-ball
word: typeball
word: unball
word: uniball
word: utility ball
word: v-ball
word: volleyball
word: volley-ball
word: wait for the ball to drop
word: wallball
word: wash-ball
word: wash ball
word: washing ball
word: whiffle ball
word: whiffle-ball
word: White Ball
word: white ball
word: white-ball
word: whole ball of wax
word: wiffle ball
word: wiffle-ball
word: wind of a ball
word: wine ball
word: wireball
word: witch ball
word: witch-ball
word: wogball
word: woodball
word: woodsball
word: wormball
word: worm ball
word: wrecker's ball
word: wrecking ball
word: yoga ball
word: as balls
word: ball ache
word: ballache
word: ball-breaker
word: ball-breaking
word: ball-buster
word: ball-busting
word: ball-gag
word: ballhair
word: ballsac
word: balls-aching
word: ballsack
word: ball sack
word: balls-deep
word: balls deep
word: balls of steel
word: balls-out
word: ballsucker
word: balls-up
word: balls up
word: ballsy
word: blue balls
word: break one's balls
word: break someone's balls
word: cold as balls
word: cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey
word: get by the balls
word: grow some balls
word: have someone by the balls
word: have the world by the balls
word: kick in the balls
word: lick my balls
word: lick someone's balls
word: stand out like dog's balls
word: stick out like dog's balls
word: suck balls
word: suck donkey balls
word: suck my balls
word: trip balls
word: twist someone's balls
word: uniballer