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ball

ball

253 2.6
A large formal dance where people wear elegant clothes
  • noun
  • /bɔl/
translation icon : baile
  • - How about letting me take you to the fireman's ball Saturday night?
  • attend a ball
  • dance at the ball
  • masked ball

So the Met Ball look was one of my faves.

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Examples

  • I went to the Snowflake Ball back when Hector was a pup.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Everyone enjoyed dancing all night at the elegant ball held in the grand ballroom.

  • Oh my God, this is what the Governor's Ball looks like.

  • Have you been to a costume ball, then, love?

  • A costume ball, actually, at the summer house on Long Island.

  • There's the grand ball this evening.

  • He made me feel like the belle of the ball, and now I must do the same.

  • I'll never forget my intense embarrassment at a ball in Aspen in the late 1950s.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Right now my boss is throwing a costume ball in San Simeon with Marion Davies and Ronald Coleman and Vilma Banky.

  • The charity gala was a lavish ball attended by many influential guests.

Synonyms

dance
vsball
463 1.0

A social event where people move to music

is a large formal evening that specifically requires elegant dress
prom
vsball
  • US
426 2.5

A formal dance for high school or college students that happens at year end

is the general large formal evening for dancing beyond schools
affair
vsball
  • Formal
267 3.7

A formal social event with food, music, and speeches

is narrower, meaning a large formal evening mainly for dancing
reception
vsball
167 3.3

A formal party after a ceremony to welcome guests

is instead a dance-centred formal evening rather than a post-ceremony welcome
function
vsball
  • Formal
74 4.2

A formal social event such as a party or ceremony

is the specific kind of formal event centered on evening dancing
soiree
vsball
  • Formal
23 7.5

An evening party at someone's home

is larger and more formal, focused on public dancing and elegant dress
social event
vsball
19 1.9

A gathering where people meet to talk and enjoy themselves

is the large formal evening variant emphasising dancing and dress
cotillion
vsball
18 9.9

A formal ball where young women are introduced to society

is a general large formal evening for dancing and elegant dress
7 2.7

An event where people meet to talk and spend time together

is the formal, dance-focused and elegant-dress version of such gatherings
formal
vsball
  • UK
4 4.1

A large school dance where people wear dress clothes

is the general large evening event that requires elegant dress
masquerade ball
vsball
  • Formal
4 4.8

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

is a broad formal dance focused mainly on dancing and dress
social function
vsball
  • Formal
4 3.5

A formal event where people meet for a special purpose

is more narrowly a large formal evening devoted to dancing
3 2.8

An event where people meet to celebrate or spend time together

is specifically a grand evening event centred on formal dancing
masked ball
vsball
  • Formal
2 4.3

A formal party where people wear masks and fancy costumes

is similar but emphasizes general formal dancing without masks
promenade
vsball
  • Archaic
1 6.5

A formal school dance held for students at the end of the year

is broader and applies to large formal dances outside schools
fancy-dress ball
vsball
  • UK
1 7.0

A formal party where people wear costumes and masks and dance

is the same formal evening but stresses elegant dress not theme
gala affair
vsball
  • Formal
1 6.0

A fancy formal party with entertainment to celebrate or raise money

is more specifically a large evening event focused on dancing
social affair
vsball
  • Formal
3.8

A formal party or ceremony where many people meet

is particularly a grand evening event focused on formal dancing

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

How Formal

gala
72 3.7
ball
253 2.6
dance
463 1.0
party
1.0
gathering
203 1.0

Surface Forms

ball singular
balls plural

Etymology

Ball The word ball for a dance comes from the Italian ballo and Latin ballare meaning 'to dance', like the English word ballet, so a 'ball' is a big formal dance.