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ball
a round body, as a baseball, tennis ball, etc.; a game played with a ball; a dance: after the ball was over
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
ball 1 (bôl)
n.
1.
a. A spherical object or entity: a steel ball.
b. A spherical or almost spherical body: a ball of flame.
2. Sports
a. Any of various movable and round or oblong objects used in various athletic activities and games.
b. Such an object moving, thrown, hit, or kicked in a particular manner: a low ball; a fair ball.
c. A game, especially baseball or basketball, played with such an object.
d. A pitched baseball that does not pass through the strike zone and is not swung at by the batter.
3.
a. A solid spherical or pointed projectile, such as one shot from a cannon.
b. Projectiles of this kind considered as a group.
4. A rounded part or protuberance, especially of the body: the ball of the foot.
5. Vulgar Slang
a. A testicle.
b. balls Courage, especially when reckless.
c. balls Great presumptuousness.
v. balled, ball·ing, balls
v.tr.
1. To form into a ball.
2. Vulgar Slang To have sexual intercourse with.
v.intr.
1. To become formed into a ball.
2. Vulgar Slang To have sexual intercourse.
Phrasal Verb:
ball up
To confuse; bungle.
Idioms:
have(someone) by the balls Vulgar Slang
To have control over someone; have someone at one's mercy.
on the ball Informal
1. Alert, competent, or efficient: a teacher who is really on the ball.
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2. Relating to qualities, such as competence, skill, or knowledge, that are necessary for success: a manager who has a
lot on the ball; a student who has nothing on the ball.
[Middle English bal, probably from Old English *beall; see bhel- in Indo-European roots.]
ball 2 (bôl)
n.
1. A formal gathering for social dancing.
2. Informal An extremely enjoyable time or experience: We had a ball during our vacation.
[French bal, from Old French, from baller, to dance, from Late Latin ballāre, from Greek ballizein; see gwelə- in Indo-
European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ball (bɔːl)
n
1. a spherical or nearly spherical body or mass: a ball of wool.
2. (Ball Games, other than specified) a round or roundish body, either solid or hollow, of a size and composition suitable
for any of various games: football, golf, billiards, etc
3. (Ball Games, other than specified) a ball propelled in a particular way in a sport: a high ball.
4. (Ball Games, other than specified) any of various rudimentary games with a ball: to play ball.
5. (Cricket) cricket a single delivery of the ball by the bowler to the batsman
6. (Baseball) baseball a single delivery of the ball by a pitcher outside certain limits and not swung at by the batter
7. (Firearms, Gunnery, Ordnance & Artillery)
a. a solid nonexplosive projectile for a firearm. Compare shell6
b. such projectiles collectively
8. any more or less rounded part or protuberance: the ball of the foot.
9. (Anatomy) slang a testicle. See balls
10. vet science another word for bolus
11. (Dyeing) vet science another word for bolus
12. (Pharmacology) vet science another word for bolus
13. (Horticulture) horticulture the hard mass of roots and earth removed with the rest of the plant during transplanting
14. ball of muscle Austral a very strong, fit, or forceful person
15. have the ball at one's feet to have the chance of doing something
16. keep the ball rolling to maintain the progress of a project, plan, etc
17. on the ball informal alert; informed
18. play ball informal to cooperate
19. set the ball rolling start the ball rolling to open or initiate (an action, discussion, movement, etc)
20. the ball is in your court you are obliged to make the next move
vb
21. (tr) to make, form, wind, etc, into a ball or balls: to ball wool.
22. (intr) to gather into a ball or balls
23. taboo slang chiefly US to copulate (with)
[C13: from Old Norse böllr; related to Old High German balla, Italian palla French balle]
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Usage: Sense 9 of this word was formerly considered to be taboo, and it was labelled as such in older editions of Collins
English Dictionary. However, it has now become acceptable in speech, although some older or more conservative people
may object to its use
ball (bɔːl)
n
1. a social function for dancing, esp one that is lavish or formal
2. informal a very enjoyable time (esp in the phrase have a ball)
[C17: from French bal (n), from Old French baller (vb), from Late Latin ballāre to dance, from Greek ballizein]
Ball (bɔːl)
n
(Biography) John. died 1381, English priest: executed as one of the leaders of the Peasants' Revolt (1381)
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007,
2009, 2011, 2014
ball1 (bɔl)
n.
1. a spherical or approximately spherical body; sphere.
2. a round or roundish body, of various sizes and materials, either hollow or solid, for use in games, as baseball, football,
or golf.
3. a game played with a ball, esp. baseball or softball.
4. a pitched ball in baseball that is not swung at by the batter and does not pass through the strike zone.
5.
a. a solid, spherical projectile for a weapon.
b. projectiles collectively.
6. a part, esp. of the human body, that is rounded or protuberant: the ball of the thumb.
7. Vulgar Slang. a testicle.
8. balls, Slang: Usu. Vulgar.
a. boldness; courage.
b. nonsense (often used as an interjection).
9. a planetary or celestial body, esp. the earth.
v.t.
10. to make into a ball or balls.
11. Vulgar Slang. to have sexual intercourse with.
v.i.
12. to form or gather into a ball.
13. Vulgar Slang. to have sexual intercourse.
14. ball up, to make into a mess; confuse.
Idioms:
1. carry the ball, to assume the responsibility; bear the burden.
2. get or start (or keep) the ball rolling, to initiate (or continue) an activity.
3. on the ball,
a. alert or vital: to be on the ball.
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[1175–1225; < Old French < Germanic *ballaz; compare Old High German bal, Old Norse bǫllr]
ball′er, n.
ball2 (bɔl)
n.
1. a large, usu. lavish, formal party featuring social dancing, sometimes given to introduce debutantes or benefit a
charitable organization.
2. Informal. a thoroughly good time.
[1625–35; < French bal, n. derivative of bal(l)er to dance < Late Latin ballāre < Greek ballízein]
Ball (bɔl)
n.
1. John, died 1381, English priest: one of the leaders of Wat Tyler's peasants' revolt in 1381.
2. Lucille, 1911–89, U.S. actress.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights
reserved.
Ball a round or roundish body or mass. See also clew, globe, orb.
Examples: balls [‘rings’] of cowslips, daisies, 1648; of fire; of nutmegs, 1583; of rosemary [750 Ibs], 1796; of twine, 1841; of
wool, 1884; of yarn, 1572; of live crabs, 1875.
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
ball
Gerund: balling
Imperative
Imperative
ball
ball
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ball
A pitch outside the strike zone that is not struck at by the batter.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
Noun 1. ball - 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"
↔ bowl - a wooden ball (with flattened sides so that it rolls on a curved course) used in the game of lawn bowling
↔ bowling ball, bowl - a large ball with finger holes used in the sport of bowling
↔ cricket ball - the ball used in playing cricket
↔ croquet ball - a wooden ball used in playing croquet
↔ field hockey ball - ball used in playing field hockey
↔ football - the inflated oblong ball used in playing American football
↔ game equipment - equipment or apparatus used in playing a game
↔ golf ball - a small hard ball used in playing golf; dimpled to reduce wind resistance
↔ handball - a small rubber ball used in playing the game of handball
↔ jack - a small ball at which players aim in lawn bowling
↔ lacrosse ball - ball used in playing lacrosse
↔ marble - a small ball of glass that is used in various games
↔ medicine ball - heavy ball used in physical training
↔ ninepin ball, skittle ball - ball used to knock down ninepins
↔ ping-pong ball - light hollow ball used in playing table tennis
↔ polo ball - wooden ball that is struck with mallets in playing polo
↔ pool ball - ball used in playing pool
↔ punch bag, punchball, punching ball, punching bag - an inflated ball or bag that is suspended and punched
for training in boxing
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≡ musket ball
↔ pellet, shot - a solid missile discharged from a firearm; "the shot buzzed past his ear"
↔ time-ball - a ball that slides down a staff to show a fixed time; especially at an observatory
↔ fireball - the luminous center of a nuclear explosion
↔ fireball - a ball of fire (such as the sun or a ball-shaped discharge of lightning)
↔ globule - a small globe or ball
↔ sphere - a solid figure bounded by a spherical surface (including the space it encloses)
↔ spherule - a small sphere
↔ pellet - a small sphere
↔ bolus - a small round soft mass (as of chewed food)
4. ball - the people assembled at a lavish formal dance; "the ball was already emptying out before
the fire alarm sounded"
5. ball - one of the two male reproductive glands that produce spermatozoa and secrete
androgens; "she kicked him in the balls and got away"
↔ family jewels, male genital organ, male genitalia, male genitals - external male sex organs
↔ seminiferous tubule - any of the numerous long convoluted tubules in the testis which are the sites where
spermatozoa mature
↔ gonad, sex gland - a gland in which gametes (sex cells) are produced
↔ cobblers - a man's testicles (from Cockney rhyming slang: cobbler's awl rhymes with ball)
↔ male reproductive gland - the reproductive organs of a man
↔ undescended testicle, undescended testis - a testis that fails to move into the scrotum as the male fetus
develops; "undescended testicles have an increased risk for cancer"
↔ beach ball, beachball - large and light ball; for play at the seaside
↔ plaything, toy - an artifact designed to be played with
↔ snowball - snow pressed into a ball for throwing (playfully)
7. Ball - United States comedienne best known as the star of a popular television program (1911-1989)
≡ Lucille Ball
8. ball - a compact mass; "a ball of mud caught him on the shoulder"
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↔ hand, manus, mitt, paw - the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb; "he had the
hands of a surgeon"; "he extended his mitt"
↔ daisy cutter - a batted or served ball that skims along close to the ground
↔ baseball, baseball game - a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of
nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs; "he played baseball in high
school"; "there was a baseball game on every empty lot"; "there was a desire for National
League ball in the area"; "play ball!"
12. ball - a pitch that is not in the strike zone; "he threw nine straight balls before the manager
yanked him"
↔ twine, wrap, wind, roll - arrange or or coil around; "roll your hair around your finger"; "Twine the thread around
the spool"; "She wrapped her arms around the child"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
ball 1
noun
1. ≡ sphere, drop, globe, pellet, orb, globule, spheroid a golf ball He screwed the letter up into a ball.
2. ≡ projectile, shot, missile, bullet, ammunition, slug, pellet, grapeshot A cannon ball struck the ship
ball 2
noun ≡ dance, social, hop (informal), disco, knees-up (Brit. informal), discotheque, dancing party You're going to a ball
dressed like that?
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
ball noun
A party or gathering for dancing:
≡ dance.
≡ Informal: hop.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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ball 1 [bɔːl]
A. N
1. (Tennis, Cricket, Golf etc) → pelota f (Ftbl) → balón m; (= sphere) → bola f
to play ball (with sb) (lit) → jugar a la pelota (con algn) (fig) → cooperar (con algn)
the ball is with you or in your court (fig) → te corresponde a ti dar el siguiente paso
that's the way the ball bounces (US) → así es la vida, así son las cosas
you have to be on the ball for this → para esto hay que estar al tanto
he's not exactly a ball of fire → no es que sea muy dinámico que digamos
to keep several balls in the air → hacer varias cosas al mismo tiempo
to pick up or take the ball and run with it → tomar el testigo e intentarlo
2. (Mil) → bala f
this is a different ball game (fig) → esto es otro cantar, esto es algo muy distinto
it's a whole new ball game (fig) → las cosas han cambiado totalmente BASEBALL ball girl N (Tennis) → recogedora
f de pelotas
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A. VT + ADV
1. = ball B
2. (US) = balls up
B. VI + ADV = ball C
balls up VT + ADV → estropear, joder
ball 2 [bɔːl] N
1. (= dance) → baile m de etiqueta
2. (= good time) we had a ball → lo pasamos en grande
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers
1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
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ball
n. bola; asiento del pie;
___ forceps → pinzas sacabalas;
___ of the foot → antepié.
ball n pelota, balón m; (of cotton) torunda; (fam o vulg, testicle) testículo, huevo (esp. Mex, fam or vulg)
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
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