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ball

ball

333 6.3
The game of baseball often played for fun
  • noun
  • /bɔl/
  • Informal
: béisbol
  • 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

baseball
vsball
∞ 1.0

A sport for two teams of nine players who take turns hitting a ball and trying to score runs

is the informal US name for that sport when played or watched
baseball game
vsball
80 1.0

A game between two teams where players hit a ball with a bat and run bases

is the informal US name for that match when seen or played
hardball
vsball
  • US
7 4.7

A version of baseball played with a hard ball rather than softball

is the informal US name for the general game not the specific form

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

Surface Forms

ball singular
balls plural

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.