ball
ball Lexical Profile
ball Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A solid or hollow spherical or egg-shaped object that is kicked, thrown, or hit in a game or sport.
"The children spent the afternoon kicking a soccer ball around the backyard."
A rounded mass or tightly wound bundle of a material, such as yarn, dough, or snow.
"The kitten tangled itself in a ball of blue wool on the living room rug."
A large formal social gathering featuring ballroom dancing.
"The university hosted an annual charity ball at the historic downtown hotel."
North American In baseball, a pitched ball that passes outside the strike zone and is not swung at by the batter.
"After throwing four consecutive balls, the pitcher walked the lead-off batter to first base."
The rounded, padded protuberance on the sole of the foot near the base of the big toe, or on the palm at the base of the thumb.
"A sprinter relies heavily on the ball of the foot for explosive acceleration off the starting blocks."
• verb
To squeeze, wind, or form something into a tight rounded shape (often used with 'up').
"He balled his hands into fists as he prepared to step into the boxing ring."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse with the homophone 'bawl', which means to cry or shout loudly.
• Rhymes for ball
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The spherical object sense derives from Middle English 'bal', borrowed from Old Norse 'böllr'. The formal dance sense is a separate homonym borrowed from French 'bal', from Old French 'baler' (to dance), ultimately from Late Latin 'ballare'.