boccie ball

7.7

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

noun
/ˈbɑːtʃi bɔːl/

: bola de bocce

She rolled the boccie ball carefully, trying to land it near the target.

Examples

The red boccie ball came to rest just inches from the pallino.
Each player selects a boccie ball before the game begins.
I bought a new boccie ball for the game.
We need to practice with our boccie balls this weekend.
Each player selects a boccie ball before the game begins.
She rolled the boccie ball carefully, trying to land it near the target.
The red boccie ball came to rest just inches from the pallino.

Synonyms

bocce ball

vsboccie ball

1 5.3

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

is bowled toward the target rather than thrown or rolled

boule

vsboccie ball

Specialized

1 8.1

A heavy round ball used in the game pétanque

is specific to an Italian game and is wooden

bocci ball

vsboccie ball

6.5

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

is exclusively wooden rather than allowing composite materials

Surface Forms

boccie ball singular

boccie balls plural

Morphology

boccie + ball

The phrase simply names the ball used in the game 'boccie' and is the straightforward composition of 'boccie' (the game) + 'ball' (round play object). This follows a common noun+noun compound pattern (e.g. 'bocce ball') that a learner who knows both constituents can readily interpret.

Etymology

Boccie ball may come from an Italian word for 'bowl'. Imagine players rolling a heavy boccie or ball across the ground toward a small target, and the name simply means the ball used in that game.