Skip to main content
ball

ball

115 4.1
A pitch in baseball that is outside the strike zone
  • noun
  • /bɔl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : bola
  • The pitcher threw four balls, giving the batter a free walk to first base.
  • ball/strike
  • ball call
  • threw five balls

You just need someone who can call balls and strikes like anyone, please.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • The first pitch was called a ball, as was the second.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • So the, the pitcher and the catcher handle the ball on every single play, right?

  • The count is one ball, one strike.

  • At Little League ages, the ball is not pitched very fast, nor does it have much movement.

    Academic text (2007)
  • The count on the batter was three balls and no strikes.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Line drive third-base side, and a foul ball streaks toward us.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Branca takes the ball, and the men around the mound recede to the fringes.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Same windup, same easy delivery, but the ball came in low, humming and rising; it stung the mitt.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • After three balls and two strikes, the tension in the stadium was palpable.

  • The umpire called it a ball when the pitch was clearly outside the strike zone.

Idioms

to drop the ball
  • Informal
38 6.1

Fail to do something you are responsible for

to have a ball
  • Informal
31 6.5

Enjoy yourself a lot

Pay attention to the main goal and avoid distractions

13 6.3

To notice things quickly and act to fix them

on the ball
  • Informal
9 5.6

Quick to notice and understand things

Stop paying attention to what is important

It is now someone's turn to act or decide

3 9.6

In a difficult situation with little chance to make things better

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

2 7.1

All the parts and activities of a project or situation

1 7.7

To be alert and ready to act

ball of fire
  • Informal
1 5.4

A person who is very energetic and enthusiastic

to catch no ball
  • Informal
9.9

To not understand anything in a talk or explanation

Having no hair on the head

To let someone else decide what to do next

To focus on the issue, not on the person

9.3

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

Delay acting until an important event happens

Compounds

58 1.0

A game played with a ball, like baseball or football

30 1.0

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

28 6.9

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

22 1.8

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

20 1.0

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

fly ball
  • Specialized
16 3.1

A ball hit high into the air in baseball

16 1.0

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

ground ball
  • Jargon
12 3.4

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

12 2.8

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

11 1.0

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

ball bearing
  • Specialized
8 3.4

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

8 1.9

A place where people play baseball

8 3.5

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

7 2.5

A professional baseball team that plays and travels together

7 5.9

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

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

7 4.4

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

5 3.4

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

breaking ball
  • Jargon
5 6.2

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

A hard round ball used to play billiards on a table

4 2.8

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

4 4.8

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

ball hog
  • Offensive
3 7.7

A player who keeps the ball and rarely passes to teammates

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

curve ball
  • Specialized
3 5.0

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

3 1.0

A round mass of yarn made for knitting or crocheting

ball and chain
  • Archaic
3 6.9

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

ball-peen hammer
  • Specialized
3 6.3

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

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

3 2.7

A round sweet made from popcorn held together with sticky sugar

2 2.8

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

masked ball
  • Formal
2 4.3

A formal party where people wear masks and fancy costumes

musket ball
  • Archaic
2 8.6

A small round piece of lead that a musket fires

2 3.2

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

2 1.9

A small round piece of melon made with a scoop

no ball
  • UK
2 7.0

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

1 5.3

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

1 8.9

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

passed ball
  • Jargon
1 7.0

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

1 2.7

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

1 5.0

A wooden ball used to play croquet

1 2.5

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

fair ball
  • Specialized
1 3.9

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

1 7.0

A formal party where people wear costumes and masks and dance

1 1.4

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

1 1.2

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

time-ball
  • Archaic
1 9.9

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

cotton ball
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A disease caused by a fungus that makes cottony growths on cranberries

ball-and-socket joint
  • Specialized
1 4.1

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

ball-breaker
  • Offensive
1 9.1

A very hard task or job that is tiring and difficult

1 9.9

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

ball cock
  • Specialized
1 7.0

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

ball hawk
  • Slang
1 7.0

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

ball valve
  • Specialized
1 4.1

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

1 2.3

Shaped like a ball or nearly round

hero ball
  • Jargon
1 7.7

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

1 3.4

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

1 5.2

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

1 2.7

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

6.5

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

7.7

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

bosie ball
  • Archaic
9.9

A cricket ball bowled to look like it will turn one way but turns the other

cannon ball
  • Archaic
4.1

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

A small white ball that keeps moths away from stored clothes

change-of-pace ball
  • Specialized
7.9

A baseball pitch thrown much slower than expected to surprise a batter

codfish ball
  • Canadian
8.1

A small ball of mashed potato made with salted cod and often breaded and fried

dirt ball
  • Offensive
8.7

A person who is very unpleasant and treats others badly

9.9

A valuable underground mushroom that chefs use to give food a strong, earthy taste

ball cartridge
  • Specialized
7.9

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

ball fern
  • Indian
8.8

A small plant with delicate feathery leaves from tropical Asia often grown in shaded gardens

ball hawking
  • Jargon
7.3

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

9.9

A prickly weed with pale yellow flowers and yellow berry-like fruit found in the southeastern United States

A rough prickly weed with pale yellow flowers and small yellow berries that can be poisonous

Surface Forms

ball singular
balls plural

Etymology

Ball In baseball, a 'ball' is a pitch that misses the strike area; this use comes from the game's rules and the name of the sport, which is all about the 'ball'.