Associations to the word «Ball»

Wiktionary

BALL, noun. A solid or hollow sphere, or part thereof.
BALL, noun. A quantity of string, thread, etc., wound into a spherical shape.
BALL, noun. (ballistics) A solid, spherical nonexplosive missile for a cannon, etc.
BALL, noun. A jacketed non-expanding bullet, typically of military origin.
BALL, noun. A roundish protuberant portion of some part of the body.
BALL, noun. (anatomy) The front of the bottom of the foot, just behind the toes.
BALL, noun. The globe; the earthly sphere.
BALL, noun. (mathematics) The set of points in a metric space lying within a given distance (the radius) of a given point; specifically, the homologue of the disk in a Euclidean space of any number of dimensions.
BALL, noun. (mathematics) (more generally) The set of points in a topological space lying within some open set containing a given point; the analogue of the disk in a Euclidean space.
BALL, noun. An object, generally spherical, used for playing games.
BALL, noun. (sport) The use of a round or ellipsoidal object.
BALL, noun. Any simple game involving a ball.
BALL, noun. (baseball) A pitch that falls outside of the strike zone.
BALL, noun. (pinball) An opportunity to launch the pinball into play.
BALL, noun. (cricket) A single delivery by the bowler, six of which make up an over.
BALL, noun. (soccer) A pass; a kick of the football towards a teammate.
BALL, noun. (mildly vulgar) (slang) (usually in plural) A testicle.
BALL, noun. Nonsense.
BALL, noun. Courage.
BALL, noun. (printing) (historical) A leather-covered cushion, fastened to a handle called a ballstock; formerly used by printers for inking the form, then superseded by the roller.
BALL, noun. (farriery) (historical) A large pill, a form in which medicine was given to horses; a bolus.
BALL, verb. (transitive) To form or wind into a ball.
BALL, verb. (metalworking) To heat in a furnace and form into balls for rolling.
BALL, verb. (transitive) (vulgar) To have sexual intercourse with.
BALL, verb. (ambitransitive) To gather balls which cling to the feet, as of damp snow or clay; to gather into balls.
BALL, verb. (slang) (usually in present participle) To be hip or cool.
BALL, interjection. (Australian rules football) An appeal by the crowd for holding the ball against a tackled player. This is heard almost any time an opposition player is tackled, without regard to whether the rules about "prior opportunity" to dispose of the ball are fulfilled.
BALL, noun. A formal dance.
BALL, noun. (informal) A very enjoyable time.
BALL, proper noun. A surname​.
BALL ACHE, noun. (slang) A nuisance
BALL ALLEY, noun. (Ireland) A place for playing handball, ranging in structure from a patch of hard flat ground beside a gable to an indoor four-walled court similar to a squash court
BALL ALLEY, noun. (US) (obsolete) A bowling alley
BALL AND CHAIN, noun. A heavy iron ball attached to a prisoner's leg by a chain as a means of restraint.
BALL AND CHAIN, noun. (slang) One's wife, as a symbol of restraint.
BALL AND SOCKET JOINT, noun. Alternative spelling of ball-and-socket joint
BALL AND SOCKET JOINTS, noun. Plural of ball and socket joint (alternative spelling of ball-and-socket joints).
BALL BAG, noun. (slang) Scrotum.
BALL BEARING, noun. In engineering, a bearing assembly which uses spherical bearing balls as the rolling elements
BALL BEARING, noun. In common usage, an individual spherical ball, usually made of steel or other hard material, suitable for use in a ball-based rolling element bearing
BALL BEARINGS, noun. Plural of ball bearing
BALL BOY, noun. (sports) A person, usually male, responsible for retrieving balls from the area of play, and returning them to the players.
BALL BOYS, noun. Plural of ball boy
BALL CARRIER, noun. (American football) (Canadian football) (rugby) A player who carries the football.
BALL CARRIERS, noun. Plural of ball carrier
BALL CLAY, noun. A type of clay that commonly consists of 20-80% kaolinite, 10-25% mica, and 6-65% quartz.
BALL CLUB, noun. Alternative spelling of ballclub
BALL COCK, noun. Alternative spelling of ballcock
BALL FLOWER, noun. (architecture) An embellishment found on medieval buildings, consisting of a ball enclosed in the petals of a flower.
BALL FLOWERS, noun. Plural of ball flower
BALL GAME, noun. Any game played with a ball.
BALL GAME, noun. A specific contest or match between teams playing such a game.
BALL GAME, noun. A sport played in the Aztec and Mayan civilizations; Mesoamerican ballgame.
BALL GAME, noun. (figurative) affair, issue, matter, subject, story, topic
BALL GAMES, noun. Plural of ball game
BALL GIRL, noun. (sports) Someone responsible for getting the balls from off the area of play to the players.
BALL GIRLS, noun. Plural of ball girl
BALL GOWN, noun. Alternative form of ballgown.
BALL GOWNS, noun. Plural of ball gown
BALL HAWK, noun. (baseball) an outfielder who is particularly good at defense, especially one who is particularly good at fielding fly balls.
BALL HAWK, noun. (sports) In team ball games, a player who is particularly good at catching or getting possession of the ball.
BALL HAWKS, noun. Plural of ball hawk
BALL HOG, noun. (sports) (idiom) (informal) A player who keeps the ball to themselves, rather than passing it
BALL IN HAND, noun. In billiards, a circumstance in which a fault by another player, such as a scratch, permits the competitor to take the cue ball in hand and place it anywhere behind the baulk line.
BALL LIGHTNING, noun. A short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air and thought to consist of ionized gas associated with thunderstorms
BALL MACHINE, noun. (tennis) A machine that shoots tennis balls out of a pipe.
BALL MACHINES, noun. Plural of ball machine
BALL MILL, noun. A device that grinds material very finely by means of a horizontally rotating drum containing ceramic or metal balls
BALL OF FIRE, noun. (idiomatic) A person who is especially hard-working, high-achieving, ambitious, or active.
BALL OF THE THUMB, noun. (anatomy) (informal) The fleshy portion, opposite the nail, of the first segment (first phalange) of the human thumb.
BALL OF THE THUMB, noun. (anatomy) The most fleshy portion of the palm of the human hand, located adjacent to the second joint of the thumb: the thenar eminence.
BALL PEN, noun. Ballpoint pen
BALL PIT, noun. A play area for children consisting of a pit filled with colourful plastic balls.
BALL PITS, noun. Plural of ball pit
BALL PLAYER, noun. Someone who plays a ball game, such as baseball, basketball, etc.
BALL PLAYERS, noun. Plural of ball player
BALL RETURN, noun. (bowling) A rack for bowling balls at the start of a bowling lane, where the balls are transported after returning from the pinsetter.
BALL RETURN, noun. (snooker) (pool) A ramp inside the table, down which balls roll so they can be accessed.
BALL RETURNS, noun. Plural of ball return
BALL SACK, noun. The scrotum.
BALL SACKS, noun. Plural of ball sack
BALL UP, verb. (transitive) To crush into a ball shape.
BALL UP, verb. (intransitive) to coil up into a ball.
BALL UP, verb. (intransitive) To hunch over and pull in one's arms and legs.
BALL UP, verb. (slang) (transitive) to ruin or botch
BALL VALVE, noun. A contrivance by which a ball, placed in a circular cup with a hole in its bottom, operates as a valve.
BALL VALVE, noun. (mistakenly) A ballcock valve.
BALL VEIN, noun. (mining) A sort of iron ore, found in loose masses of a globular form, containing sparkling particles.
BALL WASHER, noun. A device found near the tee of some golf holes, on a golf course used for cleaning dirt off of one's golf ball.
BALL WASHERS, noun. Plural of ball washer

Dictionary definition

BALL, noun. 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".
BALL, noun. A solid projectile that is shot by a musket; "they had to carry a ramrod as well as powder and ball".
BALL, noun. An object with a spherical shape; "a ball of fire".
BALL, noun. The people assembled at a lavish formal dance; "the ball was already emptying out before the fire alarm sounded".
BALL, noun. One of the two male reproductive glands that produce spermatozoa and secrete androgens; "she kicked him in the balls and got away".
BALL, noun. A spherical object used as a plaything; "he played with his rubber ball in the bathtub".
BALL, noun. United States comedienne best known as the star of a popular television program (1911-1989).
BALL, noun. A compact mass; "a ball of mud caught him on the shoulder".
BALL, noun. A lavish dance requiring formal attire.
BALL, noun. 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".
BALL, noun. The game of baseball.
BALL, noun. A pitch that is not in the strike zone; "he threw nine straight balls before the manager yanked him".
BALL, verb. Form into a ball by winding or rolling; "ball wool".

Wise words

Many a true word is spoken in jest.
Geoffrey Chaucer