Skip to main content
ball

ball

25 2.7
A rounded part of the body, for example the base of the thumb
  • noun
  • /bɔl/
: planta del pie
  • Keep your weight on the balls of your feet.
  • ball of the foot
  • ball-and-socket joint

Examples

  • Each team starts by throwing their ball as far away from the other team as possible.

  • Wide awake now, she tucked herself into a ball and made a helmet of her hands.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Okay, you hold the ball with this hand.

  • I curl up into a small ball at the bottom of the bed.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • And then there's the ball and the sole of your foot.

  • Apply it near the tear ducts and on the ball of your eyelids.

  • For their participation, each child received a T-shirt and goody bag with a pedometer, ball, Frisbee, and whistle.

    Academic text (2014)
  • When running, it is important to push off using the ball of your foot to maximize speed.

  • The doctor examined the ball of my foot to diagnose the pain I was experiencing.

  • Athletes often shift their weight to the ball of their foot for better balance.

Synonyms

globus
vsball
1 9.1

A round object like a ball or glass ornament

is used for rounded body parts rather than general objects
bolita
vsball
  • US
1 9.8

A small round object like a marble or bead

can mean any sized rounded mass, including body parts

Idioms

to drop the ball
  • Informal
38 6.1

Fail to do something you are responsible for

to have a ball
  • Informal
35 6.5

Enjoy yourself a lot

on the ball
  • Informal
18 5.6

Quick to notice and understand things

It is now someone's turn to act or decide

4 6.3

To notice things quickly and act to fix them

4 7.1

All the parts and activities of a project or situation

4 9.6

In a difficult situation with little chance to make things better

ball of fire
  • Informal
3 5.4

A person who is very energetic and enthusiastic

Stop paying attention to what is important

1 7.7

To be alert and ready to act

1 9.3

A person who is not smart and is slow to understand things

To let someone else decide what to do next

1 7.2

Having no hair on the head

Pay attention to the main goal and avoid distractions

to catch no ball
  • Informal
9.9

To not understand anything in a talk or explanation

To focus on the issue, not on the person

Leave a game or group angrily because you did not get your way

Delay acting until an important event happens

Compounds

80 1.0

A game played with a ball, like baseball or football

45 1.0

A small hard round thing with dimples that players hit in the game of golf

35 1.8

A large heavy ball with three finger holes used to knock down pins

28 1.0

A small yellow or white ball covered with felt used to play tennis

19 4.4

A black ball with the number 8 that must be pocketed last in some pool games

18 1.0

A round inflated object that players kick with their feet to play soccer

16 1.0

A large light ball filled with air for play on the beach or in a pool

A small, light, hollow plastic ball used in table tennis

fly ball
  • Specialized
15 3.1

A ball hit high into the air in baseball

15 6.9

A glass sphere fortune-tellers look into to see the future

13 2.8

A ball in baseball hit outside the marked lines that is not in play

ground ball
  • Jargon
12 3.4

In baseball, a ball hit so it rolls or bounces on the ground

12 3.4

A white ball a player hits with a cue to move other balls

curve ball
  • Specialized
11 5.0

A baseball throw with spin that curves as it reaches the batter

10 3.5

A long formal dress worn by women to very special events like balls

9 1.9

A place where people play baseball

9 5.9

A soft dumpling made from matzo meal, eggs, and fat, served in soup at Passover

7 2.5

A professional baseball team that plays and travels together

A hard round ball used to play billiards on a table

breaking ball
  • Jargon
6 6.2

A pitch that curves as it moves toward the batter because the pitcher throws it with spin

5 3.2

A hollow plastic ball with holes used for a simple bat and ball game

5 2.8

A boy who picks up and gives balls to players during a tennis match

5 4.8

A formal party where guests wear masks and costumes to hide who they are

ball-peen hammer
  • Specialized
4 6.3

A hammer with one flat face and one rounded end used to shape metal and drive rivets

ball hog
  • Offensive
4 7.7

A player who keeps the ball and rarely passes to teammates

4 8.9

A job or task that is hard and makes you very tired

4 5.2

A game at an arcade where you roll balls up a ramp into holes for points

4 1.4

A small round piece of chewing gum with a hard colored sugar coating often sold in vending machines

A heavy leather ball you throw or lift to build strength and coordination

jump ball
  • Specialized
3 4.1

A basketball way where the referee tosses the ball between two players who jump to tap it to a teammate

ball bearing
  • Specialized
3 3.4

A device with small metal balls that helps machine parts move with less rubbing

3 1.0

A round mass of yarn made for knitting or crocheting

3 2.7

A round sweet made from popcorn held together with sticky sugar

musket ball
  • Archaic
2 8.6

A small round piece of lead that a musket fires

2 2.8

A player in football or rugby who holds the ball and tries to move forward to score

2 2.7

A small round object that players hit in pool, usually numbered and colored

cannon ball
  • Archaic
2 4.1

A heavy round metal ball fired from a cannon in the past

2 1.9

A small round piece of melon made with a scoop

2 5.3

A heavy ball in the Italian game of bocce that players roll to get close to the small target ball

passed ball
  • Jargon
2 7.0

A pitch the catcher misses that lets a runner advance to the next base

fair ball
  • Specialized
2 3.9

A ball hit by the batter that lands between the foul lines and is in play

masked ball
  • Formal
2 4.3

A formal party where people wear masks and fancy costumes

ball and chain
  • Archaic
2 6.9

A heavy iron ball attached to a prisoner's leg by a chain

2 5.0

A wooden ball used to play croquet

1 9.9

A woman who is very strict and makes others feel afraid or unhappy

1 1.2

An oval ball filled with air that people use to play rugby

ball-and-socket joint
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A joint where a round bone end fits into a cup, allowing movement in many directions

hero ball
  • Jargon
1 7.7

A player who tries to win alone in important moments instead of trusting teammates

no ball
  • UK
1 7.0

A ball bowled against the rules that gives the batting team a free hit on the next ball

1 2.7

A small rubber ball used in a fast game played in a court with four walls

dirt ball
  • Offensive
1 8.7

A person who is very unpleasant and treats others badly

1 2.5

A hard round ball players use in cricket, made of cork and leather

1 7.0

A formal party where people wear costumes and masks and dance

1 2.3

Shaped like a ball or nearly round

A bag filled with air that hangs for boxing practice

ball valve
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A device that controls the flow of water or gas using a round ball inside

time-ball
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A ball that drops from a pole at a set time to show the exact time

1 7.7

A wooden ball for the game bocce that players roll toward a small target ball

ball hawk
  • Slang
1 7.0

A player who often steals or catches the ball from the other team to help their team

ball cock
  • Specialized
1 7.0

A valve with a floating ball that controls the water level in a toilet tank

A small hard ball that spins around a roulette wheel to pick the winning number

object ball
  • Specialized
1 7.8

The ball the cue ball is meant to hit first

1 6.5

A hard ball people use in the Italian game bocce to roll toward a small target

1 3.4

A small metal ball with holes that holds loose tea leaves while brewing

1 1.4

A large rubber ball used for playground games like four square or kickball

A small rubber ball used to play lacrosse

ball hawking
  • Jargon
1 7.3

Skill in catching the ball from opponents during a game, especially in football or basketball

ball-hawking
  • Jargon
1 8.4

Good at taking the ball from opponents in games like football or baseball

rifle ball
  • Archaic
1 7.9

A piece of metal fired from a rifle, originally round but later long

1 2.6

A small round piece of fish cooked and eaten as a snack or in soup

A small hard round object that players hit in field hockey

1 8.1

A small white ball that keeps moths away from stored clothes

ball cartridge
  • Specialized
1 7.9

A small metal case that contains a bullet and enough powder to fire it

How Rounded

ball
25 2.7
bulb
  • Specialized
2 7.7
bump
118 2.5
pad
149 1.4

Surface Forms

ball singular
balls plural

Etymology

Ball The 'ball' in 'ball of the foot' comes from the old word for 'round thing', naming the rounded pad at the base of your toes because it is a small, round part of the body.