Adjacent Words

Ball definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

BALL, n.[L. pila; A ball may signify a mass from collecting, or it may be that which is driven, from the root of L. pello; probably the former.]
1. A round body; a spherical substance, whether natural or artificial; or a body nearly round; as, a ball for play; a ball of thread; a ball of snow.
2. A bullet; a ball of iron or lead for cannon, muskets, etc.
3. A printer's ball, consisting of hair or wool, covered with leather or skin, and fastened to a stock, called a ball-stock, and used to put ink on the types in the forms.
4. The globe or earth, from its figure.
5. A globe borne as an ensign of authority; as, to hold the ball of a kingdom.
6. Any part of the body that is round or protuberant; as, the eye ball; the ball of the thumb or foot.
7. The weight at the bottom of a pendulum.
8. Among the Cornish miners in England, a tin mine.
9. In pyrotechnics, a composition of combustible ingredients, which serve to burn, smoke or give light.
Ball-stock, among printers, a stock somewhat hollow at one end, to which balls of skin, stuffed with wool, are fastened, and which serves as a handle.
Ball-vein, among miners, a sort of iron ore, found in loose masses, of a circular form, containing sparkling particles.
Ball and socket, an instrument used in surveying and astronomy, made of brass, with a perpetual screw, to move horizontally, obliquely, or vertically.
Puff-ball, in botany, the Lycoperdon, a genus of fungeses.
Fire-ball, a meteor; a luminous globe darting through the atmosphere; also, a bag of canvas filled with gunpowder, sulphur, pitch, saltpeter, etc.,to be thrown by the hand, or from mortars, to set fire to houses.
BALL, n.[Gr.to toss or throw; to leap.] An entertainment of dancing; originally and peculiarly, at the invitation and expense of an individual; but the word is used in America, for a dance at the expense of the attendants.
BALL, v.i. To form into a ball, as snow on horses' hoofs, or on the feet. We say the horse balls, or the snow balls.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games; "the ball travelled 90 mph on his serve"; "the mayor threw out the first ball"; "the ball rolled into the corner pocket"
2: a solid projectile that is shot by a musket; "they had to carry a ramrod as well as powder and ball" [syn: musket ball, ball]
3: an object with a spherical shape; "a ball of fire" [syn: ball, globe, orb]
4: the people assembled at a lavish formal dance; "the ball was already emptying out before the fire alarm sounded"
5: one of the two male reproductive glands that produce spermatozoa and secrete androgens; "she kicked him in the balls and got away" [syn: testis, testicle, orchis, ball, ballock, bollock, nut, egg]
6: a spherical object used as a plaything; "he played with his rubber ball in the bathtub"
7: United States comedienne best known as the star of a popular television program (1911-1989) [syn: Ball, Lucille Ball]
8: a compact mass; "a ball of mud caught him on the shoulder" [syn: ball, clod, glob, lump, clump, chunk]
9: a lavish dance requiring formal attire [syn: ball, formal]
10: a more or less rounded anatomical body or mass; "the ball at the base of the thumb"; "he stood on the balls of his feet"
11: the game of baseball
12: a pitch that is not in the strike zone; "he threw nine straight balls before the manager yanked him" v
1: form into a ball by winding or rolling; "ball wool"

Merriam Webster's

biographical name John died 1381 English priest & social agitator

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English bal, probably from Old English *beall; akin to Old English bealluc testis, Old High German balla ball, Old Norse b?llr, Old English bl?wan to blow — more at blow Date: 13th century 1. a round or roundish body or mass: as a. a spherical or ovoid body used in a game or sport <a tennis ball> — used figuratively in phrases like the ball is in your court to indicate who has the responsibility or opportunity for further action b. earth, globe c. a spherical or conical projectile; also projectiles used in firearms d. a roundish protuberant anatomical structure (as near the tip of a human finger or toe or at the base of a thumb); especially the part of the sole of the human foot between the toes and arch on which the main weight of the body rests in normal walking 2. a. often vulgar testis b. plural (1) often vulgar nonsense — often used interjectionally (2) often vulgar nerve 3 3. a game in which a ball is thrown, kicked, or struck; also quality of play in such a game 4. a. a pitch not swung at by the batter that fails to pass through the strike zone b. a hit or thrown ball in various games <foul ball> II. verb Date: 1658 transitive verb 1. to form or gather into a ball <balled the paper into a wad> 2. usually vulgar to have sexual intercourse with intransitive verb 1. to form or gather into a ball 2. usually vulgar to engage in sexual intercourse III. noun Etymology: French bal, from Old French, from baller to dance, from Late Latin ballare, from Greek ballizein Date: circa 1639 1. a large formal gathering for social dancing 2. a very pleasant experience ; a good time <everyone had a ball at the wedding>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. & v. --n. 1 a solid or hollow sphere, esp. for use in a game. 2 a a ball-shaped object; material forming the shape of a ball (ball of snow; ball of wool; rolled himself into a ball). b a rounded part of the body (ball of the foot). 3 a solid non-explosive missile for a cannon etc. 4 a single delivery of a ball in cricket, baseball, etc., or passing of a ball in football. 5 (in pl.) coarse sl. a the testicles. b (usu. as an exclam. of contempt) nonsense, rubbish. c = balls-up. d courage, 'guts'. Usage: Sense 5 is usually considered a taboo use. --v. 1 tr. squeeze or wind into a ball. 2 intr. form or gather into a ball or balls. Phrases and idioms: ball-and-socket joint Anat. a joint in which a rounded end lies in a concave cup or socket, allowing freedom of movement. ball-bearing 1 a bearing in which the two halves are separated by a ring of small metal balls which reduce friction. 2 one of these balls. ball game 1 a any game played with a ball. b US a game of baseball. 2 esp. US colloq. a particular affair or concern (a whole new ball game). the ball is in your etc. court you etc. must be next to act. ball lightning a rare globular form of lightning. ball-point (pen) a pen with a tiny ball as its writing point. balls (or ball) up coarse sl. bungle; make a mess of. balls-up n. coarse sl. a mess; a confused or bungled situation. have the ball at one's feet have one's best opportunity. keep the ball rolling maintain the momentum of an activity. on the ball colloq. alert. play ball colloq. cooperate. start etc. the ball rolling set an activity in motion; make a start. Etymology: ME f. ON böllr f. Gmc 2. n. 1 a formal social gathering for dancing. 2 sl. an enjoyable time (esp. have a ball). Etymology: F bal f. LL ballare to dance

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ball Ball, n. (Baseball) A pitched ball, not struck at by the batsman, which fails to pass over the home base at a height not greater than the batsman's shoulder nor less than his knee.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ball Ball (b[add]l), n. [OE. bal, balle; akin to OHG. balla, palla, G. ball, Icel. b["o]llr, ball; cf. F. balle. Cf. 1st Bale, n., Pallmall.] 1. Any round or roundish body or mass; a sphere or globe; as, a ball of twine; a ball of snow. 2. A spherical body of any substance or size used to play with, as by throwing, knocking, kicking, etc. 3. A general name for games in which a ball is thrown, kicked, or knocked. See Baseball, and Football. 4. Any solid spherical, cylindrical, or conical projectile of lead or iron, to be discharged from a firearm; as, a cannon ball; a rifle ball; -- often used collectively; as, powder and ball. Spherical balls for the smaller firearms are commonly called bullets. 5. (Pyrotechnics & Mil.) A flaming, roundish body shot into the air; a case filled with combustibles intended to burst and give light or set fire, or to produce smoke or stench; as, a fire ball; a stink ball. 6. (Print.) A leather-covered cushion, fastened to a handle called a ballstock; -- formerly used by printers for inking the form, but now superseded by the roller. 7. A roundish protuberant portion of some part of the body; as, the ball of the thumb; the ball of the foot. 8. (Far.) A large pill, a form in which medicine is commonly given to horses; a bolus. --White. 9. The globe or earth. --Pope. Move round the dark terrestrial ball. --Addison. Ball and socket joint, a joint in which a ball moves within a socket, so as to admit of motion in every direction within certain limits. Ball bearings, a mechanical device for lessening the friction of axle bearings by means of small loose metal balls. Ball cartridge, a cartridge containing a ball, as distinguished from a blank cartridge, containing only powder. Ball cock, a faucet or valve which is opened or closed by the fall or rise of a ball floating in water at the end of a lever. Ball gudgeon, a pivot of a spherical form, which permits lateral deflection of the arbor or shaft, while retaining the pivot in its socket. --Knight. Ball lever, the lever used in a ball cock. Ball of the eye, the eye itself, as distinguished from its lids and socket; -- formerly, the pupil of the eye. Ball valve (Mach.), a contrivance by which a ball, placed in a circular cup with a hole in its bottom, operates as a valve. Ball vein (Mining), a sort of iron ore, found in loose masses of a globular form, containing sparkling particles. Three balls, or Three golden balls, a pawnbroker's sign or shop. Syn: See Globe.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ball Ball, v. t. 1. (Metal.) To heat in a furnace and form into balls for rolling. 2. To form or wind into a ball; as, to ball cotton.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ball Ball, n. [F. bal, fr. OF. baler to dance, fr. LL. ballare. Of uncertain origin; cf. Gr. ? to toss or throw, or ?, ?, to leap, bound, ? to dance, jump about; or cf. 1st Ball, n.] A social assembly for the purpose of dancing.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ball Ball, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Balled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Balling.] To gather balls which cling to the feet, as of damp snow or clay; to gather into balls; as, the horse balls; the snow balls.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(balls, balling, balled) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. A ball is a round object that is used in games such as tennis, baseball, football, basketball, and cricket. ...a golf ball. ...a tennis ball. N-COUNT 2. A ball is something or an amount of something that has a round shape. Thomas screwed the letter up into a ball... They heard a loud explosion and saw a ball of fire go up. N-COUNT: oft N of n 3. When you ball something or when it balls, it becomes round. He picked up the sheets of paper, and balled them tightly in his fists... His hands balled into fists... VERB: V n adv/prep, V adv/prep 4. The ball of your foot or the ball of your thumb is the rounded part where your toes join your foot or where your thumb joins your hand. N-COUNT: usu the N of n 5. A ball is a large formal social event at which people dance. N-COUNT 6. A man's balls are his testicles. (INFORMAL, RUDE) N-COUNT: usu pl 7. see also balls 8. If you say that the ball is in someone's court, you mean that it is his or her responsibility to take the next action or decision in a situation. The ball's now in your court–you have to decide what you're going to do. PHRASE: V inflects 9. If you get the ball rolling, set the ball rolling, or start the ball rolling, you start something happening. He will go to the Middle East next week to get the ball rolling again on peace talks... PHRASE: V inflects 10. If someone is on the ball, they are very alert and aware of what is happening. She really is on the ball; she's bought houses at auctions so she knows what she's doing. PHRASE: v-link PHR 11. If someone refuses to play ball, they are unwilling to do what someone wants them to do. (INFORMAL) The association has threatened to withdraw its support if the banks and building societies refuse to play ball. PHRASE: V inflects

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

bol (dur): A rare Hebrew word used in this sense only in Isa 22:18, and correctly rendered in the American Standard Revised Version "He will surely wind thee round and round, and toss thee like a ball into a large country." De Or, Bottcher, Jastrow, following Talmud, regard the noun as kaddur, but perhaps incorrectly.

See also GAMES.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Globe, sphere, round body, round or rounded or roundish part. 2. Missile (of fire arms), bullet, shot, projectile. 3. Dance, entertainment of dancing, assembly, dancing-party. 4. Game of ball.

Moby Thesaurus

Kaffeeklatsch, action, agate, assemblee, assembly, assignation, at home, bal, bal costume, bal masque, ball bearing, balloon, bar shot, barn dance, baseball, baseball bat, basketball, bat, battledore, bauble, be intimate, bead, big time, bird shot, bladder, blob, blocks, blowout, boll, bolus, bowl, brawl, bubble, buckshot, bulb, bulbil, bulblet, bullet, cannon shot, cannonball, case shot, caucus, checkerboard, chessboard, clew, clot, club, cockhorse, cocktail party, coffee klatch, cohabit, colloquium, come together, commission, commit adultery, committee, conclave, concourse, conglobulate, congregation, congress, conventicle, convention, convocation, copulate, costume party, council, country dance, couple, cover, cricket bat, crossbar shot, cue, dance, date, diddle, diet, dinner, dinner party, discus, doll, doll carriage, donation party, duck shot, dumdum bullet, egg, eisteddfod, ejecta, ejectamenta, ellipsoid, ensphere, entertainment, expanding bullet, fancy-dress ball, festivity, fete, football, forgathering, fornicate, forum, frig, fun, fun and games, funmaking, game, garden party, gathering, geoid, get-together, gewgaw, gimcrack, globe, globelet, globoid, globule, glomerulus, gob, gobbet, golf club, good time, grape, grapeshot, great fun, handball, have sex, have sexual relations, hen party, high old time, high time, hobbyhorse, hop, house party, house-raising, housewarming, jack-in-the-box, jacks, jackstones, jackstraws, kickshaw, knickknack, knob, knot, langrel shot, laughs, lawn party, lay, levee, lie with, lovely time, make it with, make love, make out, manstopping bullet, marble, marionette, mask, masked ball, masque, masquerade, masquerade ball, masquerade party, mate, meet, meeting, mig, missile, mixer, mothball, mount, mushroom, oblate spheroid, orb, orbit, orblet, oval, ovoid, panel, paper doll, party, pellet, pick-up sticks, picnic, pill, pinball, pinwheel, play, plaything, pleasant time, plenum, projectile, prolate spheroid, prom, promenade, puppet, pushball, quoit, quorum, racket, rag doll, rally, reception, record hop, rendezvous, rifle ball, rocking horse, rondure, round, round shot, rubber ball, screw, seance, serve, service, session, shell, shindig, shindy, shot, shower, shrapnel, sit-in, sitting, sleep with, slug, smoker, snowball, softball, soiree, sphere, spherify, spheroid, spherule, split shot, sport, square dance, stag, stag dance, stag party, steelie, surprise party, symposium, synod, taw, tea dance, teetotum, tetherball, the dansant, top, toy, toy soldier, trajectile, trinket, turnout, volleyball, wad, whiffle ball, whim-wham