ball
- noun
- /bɔl/
- Informal
- It's up to us if we wanna play ball or not.
- play ball
- a ball game
- a ball player
Examples
-
I swung easily at the ball and caught it just right, a soaring drive down the middle.
Fiction book (1992) -
Last season, the Steelers threw the ball 105 more times than they ran it.
-
Look, I came here to play ball, put in work.
-
Dad can come down here and play ball with his friends for an hour or two anyway.
Fiction book (1991) -
Hundreds of others played minor league ball, and thousands more are in training for a life in baseball.
Academic text (1994) -
You know how it is sometimes when you're out playing ball with your friends?
Fiction book (1993) -
Fans watch the ball, OK, coaches watch the line of scrimmage.
-
Barbecues and ball games?
-
My father used to take me to ball games when I was a kid.
-
Tony Gwynn, famously, wanted to just react to the ball, see the ball, hit the ball.
Synonyms
A sport for two teams of nine players who take turns hitting a ball and trying to score runs
A game between two teams where players hit a ball with a bat and run bases
A version of baseball played with a hard ball rather than softball
Idioms
- Informal
In a difficult situation with little chance to make things better
- Informal
Leave a game or group angrily because you did not get your way
Compounds
- Jargon
A pitch that curves as it moves toward the batter because the pitcher throws it with spin
- Formal
A formal party where guests wear masks and costumes to hide who they are
- Specialized
A hammer with one flat face and one rounded end used to shape metal and drive rivets
A small round piece of chewing gum with a hard colored sugar coating often sold in vending machines
- Specialized
A basketball way where the referee tosses the ball between two players who jump to tap it to a teammate
- Specialized
A device with small metal balls that helps machine parts move with less rubbing
A player in football or rugby who holds the ball and tries to move forward to score
A heavy ball in the Italian game of bocce that players roll to get close to the small target ball
- Specialized
A ball hit by the batter that lands between the foul lines and is in play
- Specialized
A joint where a round bone end fits into a cup, allowing movement in many directions
- Jargon
A player who tries to win alone in important moments instead of trusting teammates
- UK
A ball bowled against the rules that gives the batting team a free hit on the next ball
- Specialized
A device that controls the flow of water or gas using a round ball inside
- Slang
A player who often steals or catches the ball from the other team to help their team
- Specialized
A valve with a floating ball that controls the water level in a toilet tank
- Jargon
Skill in catching the ball from opponents during a game, especially in football or basketball
- Specialized
A small metal case that contains a bullet and enough powder to fire it
Surface Forms
Etymology
Ball Calling the sport 'ball' comes from the object used in the game — the 'ball' — so the game is named after that round object players throw and hit.