ball

a ball of spittle; a fecal ball

A solid or hollow sphere, or roughly spherical mass.

a ball of wool; a ball of twine

A quantity of string, thread, etc., wound into a spherical shape.

(mathematics) Homologue or analogue of a disk in the Euclidean plane.

(mathematics) In 3-dimensional Euclidean space, the volume bounded by a sphere.

Homologue or analogue of a disk in the Euclidean plane.

(mathematics) The set of points in a metric space of any number of dimensions lying within a given distance (the radius) of a given point.

(mathematics) The set of points in a topological space lying within some open set containing a given point.

(ballistics, firearms) A solid, spherical nonexplosive missile for a cannon, rifle, gun, etc.

A jacketed non-expanding bullet, typically of military origin.

[…] the Good Old Cause, which, as they seemed to represent it, smelt of Gunpowder and ball […]

1659, Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey, England’s Confusion, London, page 7:

I gave each of them a Musket with a Firelock on it, and about eight Charges of Powder and Ball, charging them to be very good Husbands of both, and not to use either of them but upon urgent Occasion.

1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC, page 294:

[…] some headstrong Maroons were using a soldier of Captain Craskell’s ill, and compelling him to write to his commander, that it was too late to do any thing good, and that they wanted nothing, having got plenty of powder and ball […]

1803, Robert Charles Dallas, The History of the Maroons, London: Longman and Rees, Volume 1, Letter 5, p. 148:

This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship.

1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 1, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 1:

(uncountable, obsolete) Such bullets collectively.

the ball of the thumb

A roundish, protuberant portion of some part of the body.

(anatomy) The front of the bottom of the foot, just behind the toes.

c. 1712', Joseph Addison, Ode to the Creator of the World
What, though in solemn Silence, all / Move round the dark terrestrial Ball!

Thus, if eternal Justice rules the ball, / Thus shall your wives, and thus your children fall;

1717, Alexander Pope, Elegy to the Memory of an Unfortunate Lady:

The children were playing ball on the beach.

George played his college ball at Stanford.

(sports, countable) An object that is the focus of many sports and games, in which it may be thrown, caught, kicked, bounced, rolled, chased, retrieved, hit with an instrument, spun, etc., usually roughly spherical or ovoid but whose size, weight, bounciness, colour, etc. differ according to the game

(uncountable) Any sport or game involving a ball; its play, literally or figuratively.

(baseball, countable) A pitch that falls outside of the strike zone.

A pitch that falls outside of the strike zone.

If you get to a million points, you get another ball.

(pinball, countable) An opportunity to launch the pinball into play.

An opportunity to launch the pinball into play.

(cricket, countable) A single delivery by the bowler, six of which make up an over.

After Essien's poor attempt flew into the stands, Rodrigo Moreno—Bolton's on-loan winger from Benfica who was making his full Premier League debut—nearly exposed the Blues with a lovely ball for Johan Elmander, but it just skipped away from his team-mate's toes.

2010 December 29, Chris Whyatt, “Chelsea 1-0 Bolton”, in BBC:

Shetland increased the lead in the 22nd minute when Kirkness shot first time from a ball that was fired into the area from outside the 25-metre line.

2014 October 21, Jim Tait, “Hockey girls through to next round”, in Shetland Times:

Mark Wright sent a speculative ball for me to chase after and I found myself leaving Tony Adams in my wake, with only Seaman to beat.

2019, Robbie Fowler, My Life In Football: Goals, Glory & The Lessons I've Learnt, Kings Road Publishing, →ISBN:

(originally soccer, countable) a kick (or hit in e.g. field hockey) of the ball towards where one or more teammates is expected to be. (Distinguished from a pass by a longer distance travelled or less specific target point.)

Ivor had acquired more than a mile of fishing rights with the house; he was not at all a good fisherman, but one must do something; one generally, however, banged a ball with a squash-racket against a wall.

1922, Michael Arlen, “3/19/2”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:

Graham secured victory with five minutes left, coolly lifting the ball over Asmir Begovic.

2011 October 2, Aled Williams, “Swansea 2-0 Stoke”, in BBC Sport Wales:

That’s a load of balls, and you know it!

(mildly vulgar, slang, usually in the plural) A testicle.

I doubt he’s got the balls to tell you off.

(printing, historical) A leather-covered cushion, fastened to a handle called a ballstock; formerly used by printers for inking the form, then superseded by the roller.

The laxative alterative has not this advantage, the aloes, of which it is composed, being extremely bitter, and therefore requiring to be given in the form of a ball.

1842, James White, A compendium of the veterinary art:

(farriery, historical) A large pill, a form in which medicine was given to horses; a bolus.

I'ma let these niggas have it, go on stage and throw a forty ball

2022 July 22, “Convict Life (Wanna Be Alone)”, YoungBoy Never Broke Again (lyrics):

Forty ball all in these leather jeans
Diamonds studs, I make a bum nigga think twice

2022 September 16, “Hands on the Floor” (track 4, 0:40 from the start), in Su'Lan (lyrics), Forever Da Gang:

Forty ball on my wrist, nigga, I cashed out on it (Damn)
Forty bands on my neck, nigga, I maxed out on it (Damn)

2022 November 23, “10PM in ATL” (track 2), in GoldenBoy Countup (lyrics), Chill:

Dropped a twenty ball in Gallery Department

2022 November 25, “Gallery” (track 6), in OhGeesy (lyrics), GEEZYWORLD 2:

(slang, countable, uncountable, singular only) One thousand US dollars.

en-noun

ball (countable and uncountable, plural balls)

cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey

→ Cantonese: 波 (bo¹)

→ Japanese: ボール (bōru)

→ Makah: ba·la

→ Yoruba: bọ́ọ̀lù

ампыл

object, generally spherical, used for playing games

bola

baseball: a pitch that falls outside the strike zone

pallo

pinball: an opportunity to launch the ball into play

туп

ballistics: a solid nonexplosive missile

գնդոլորտ

mathematics: set of points in a metric space lying within a given distance of a given point

From Middle English bal, ball, balle, from an unattested Old English *beall, *bealla (“round object, ball”) or Old Norse bǫllr (“a ball”), both from Proto-Germanic *balluz, *ballô (“ball”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰol-n- (“ball, bubble”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to blow, inflate, swell”). Cognate with Old Saxon ball, Dutch bal, Old High German bal, ballo (German Ball (“ball”); Ballen (“bale”)). Related forms in Romance are borrowings from Germanic. See also balloon, bale.

der

Proto-Indo-European *bʰol-n- (“ball, bubble”)

Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to blow, inflate, swell”)


ball

to ball cotton

(transitive) To form or wind into a ball.

(metalworking) To heat in a furnace and form into balls for rolling.

Max says it works both ways. “I mean if she comes in and tells me she wants to ball Don, maybe, I say ‘O.K., baby, it's your trip.’”

1968, Joan Didion, “Slouching Towards Bethlehem”, in Slouching Towards Bethlehem:

(transitive, US, vulgar) To have sexual intercourse with.

the horse balls

the snow balls

(ambitransitive) To gather balls which cling to the feet or skis, as of damp snow or clay; to gather into balls.

(slang, usually in present participle) To be hip or cool.

This highlights the issue of toxic masculinity in fraternities: a pledge only becomes a man, or a brother, by enduring as much abuse as he can and by proving his competence with girls. If he cannot, he is not only "balled" but seen as a "faggot" (this is a term directly from the work).

2018 July 12, “'I Thought Frats Were Like Their Movies, and They Totally Are': A Review of 'Alpha Class'”, in College Media Network:

All of these things are done by pledges in hopes of not getting 'balled' or kicked out.

2019 November 25, Annie Martin, “UCF frat suspended after report of pledges being forced to smoke marijuana, drink 'entire bottles' of alcohol”, in Orlando Sentinel:

(university slang) To reject from a fraternity or sorority. (Short for blackball.)

fuck it, we ball

(Internet?) slang, used to indicate general perseverance

(nonstandard, slang) To play basketball.

any man refusing to do police duty will be punished by the sergts by balling him the rest of the day.

1865, Camp Sumpter, Andersonville National Historic Site, Rules and Regulations of the Prison:

(transitive) To punish by affixing a ball and chain.

(transitive) Of bees: to kill (a wasp) by surrounding it in large numbers so as to raise its body heat.

Near-synonym: haul ass

Hang back for a bit — that Peterbilt in the left lane is really ballin’ and I'd rather not be real close to him.

balls to the wall
balls to the wall#Adverb

ballin' the jack
ballin' the jack#English

(intransitive) To operate (a vehicle) at high speed (whether balls-out, balls to the wall, or ballin' the jack, each of which comes ultimately from ball via a different route).

en-verb

ball (third-person singular simple present balls, present participle balling, simple past and past participle balled)

balls (present singular third-person)
balling (participle present)
balled (participle past)
balled (past)

удрям едно мадо

vulgar slang: have sexual intercourse with


ball

(sports) An exclamation to inform players on an adjacent playing area that a loose ball from another game has entered their playing area; typically implies that play should be paused until the ball has been retrieved.

A good tackle (and some bad ones) will bring a cry of "Ball!" from the crowd – a plea for a holding the ball free kick.

2007, “Laws Of The Afl 2007”, in AFL Sydney Swans Rules Zone, archived from the original on 2008-03-22:

Australian rules football
Australian rules football

holding the ball
holding the ball#English

(Australian rules football) An appeal by the crowd for holding the ball against a tackled player.


ball

We still have pictures from the ball we had in August 2008.

I had a ball at that concert.

A competitive event among young African-American and Latin American LGBTQ+ people in which prizes are awarded for drag and similar performances. See ball culture.

From Middle French bal, from Middle French baler (“to dance”), from Old French baller, from Late Latin ballō (“to dance”).