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Glite Dictionary
🍬 A candy 🟠 A toy ball
gumball

gumball

1 1.6
A small round rubber ball used as a toy or prize for children
  • noun
  • /ˈɡʌmˌbɔl/
translation icon : pelota de goma
  • The children excitedly watched as a green gumball rolled out of the machine.
  • gumball machine

Examples

  • Gumballs! - Yes, ma'am.

    Rambling Rose (1991)

  • ...and he put them quarters in that gumball machine.

    Monster's Ball (2001)

  • Oh yes, like what if they have a cracked the code Kitty gumball machine?

  • Matt and Katie are messing around with a gumball machine.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • - A gumball machine?

    Starsky & Hutch (2004)

  • It was one of those gross stickers you get in the gumball machine.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Gumball machines?

    Cool Hand Luke (1967)

  • After school, I saved my allowance to buy a gumball from the colorful vending machine.

  • He thrilled at the sight of the shiny gumball in the prize drawer after winning the game.

Synonyms

ball
vsgumball
∞ 1.0

A round object used in games like football or tennis

is a small toy version often rubber and given from machines to children

Surface Forms

gumball singular
gumballs plural

Morphology

gumball = gum + ball (semi-transparent) = gum + ball

The toy sense is formed by compounding and is named by resemblance to the candy 'gumball' rather than being made of gum, so the relation is clear but not literal.

Etymology

Gumball also came to mean a small rubber ball used as a toy because the same machines that gave out the candy often gave out little round toys, so the name 'gumball' was used for the bouncing balls too.