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meatball

meatball

103 1.0
A small ball of ground meat that is mixed with other ingredients and cooked
  • noun
  • /ˈmiːtˌbɔːl/
translation icon : albóndiga
  • We were sitting down and we were having homemade meatballs, great meatballs with Mashed potato.
  • spaghetti and meatballs

And so this is like meatballs in a low density soup.

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Examples

  • You have options for meatball Subs, Turkey clubs, all kinds of stuff.

  • Can I get a meatball sandwich on white with mayo?

  • Now you get that meatball back to your brother before it gets cold.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • I feel like the meatball sub was the only hot sub.

  • Who would have thought that the meatballs would be the easier part?

    Fiction book (2001)
  • The Boston Italian meatball sub made by a Greek in an Irish neighborhood is a unique experience.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • All right guys, I'm going to cook up these meatballs, catch you in the tub.

  • Pappas is about to take a huge bite when a meatball falls out of the end of the sandwich.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Glad you like spaghetti and meatballs.

  • For dinner, she prepared delicious homemade meatballs in tomato sauce.

Synonyms

meatwad
vsmeatball
  • Slang
12 9.9

A ball of ground meat or a cartoon character made of meat

is the neutral culinary small round cooked portion of ground meat
Swedish meatball
vsmeatball
4 2.0

A Swedish dish of small seasoned cooked balls of meat that people serve with sauce

is the general small round cooked portion of ground meat served in many ways
porcupines
vsmeatball
  • US
9.9

Meatballs made with beef and rice cooked in tomato sauce

are general small round cooked portions of ground meat without rice
porcupine ball
vsmeatball
  • Archaic
8.8

A small ball of meat rolled in rice and cooked in tomato sauce

are plain small round cooked portions of ground meat, not rolled in rice

Compounds

A Swedish dish of small seasoned cooked balls of meat that people serve with sauce

meatball surgery
  • Informal
8.4

A quick, rough way of fixing something so it works but does not look neat

How Filling

pasty
  • UK
2 6.4
meatball
103 1.0
matzo ball
7 5.9
dumpling
41 1.8
crouton
20 3.2

Surface Forms

meatball singular
meatballs plural

Morphology

meatball = meat + ball (transparent) = meat + ball

The meaning is a literal compound of 'meat' + 'ball' (a small spherical portion of meat), which learners can deduce from the components.

Etymology

Meatball is simply two common words put together: meat and ball, literally 'a ball of meat'. This name is an easy memory hook because it describes exactly what a meatball is — a small, round lump of ground meat often cooked in sauce.