ball: Meaning and Definition of

ball

1. a spherical or approximately spherical body or shape; sphere: He rolled the piece of paper into a ball.
2. a round or roundish body, of various sizes and materials, either hollow or solid, for use in games, as baseball, football, tennis, or golf.
3. a game played with a ball, esp. baseball: The boys are out playing ball.
4. a pitched ball, not swung at by the batter, that does not pass over home plate between the batter's shoulders and knees.
1. a solid, usually spherical projectile for a cannon, rifle, pistol, etc., as distinguished from a shell.
2. projectiles, esp. bullets, collectively.
6. any part of a thing, esp. of the human body, that is rounded or protuberant: the ball of the thumb.
7. a round mass of food, as of chopped meat, dough, or candy.
8. . a testis.
9. .
1. boldness; courage; brashness.
2. nonsense (often used as an interjection).
10. bolus (def. 1).
11. a compact mass of soil covering the roots of an uprooted tree or other plant.
12. a planetary or celestial body, esp. the earth.
13. (in a metric space) the set of points whose distance from the zero element is less than, or less than or equal to, a specified number.
14. to assume the responsibility; bear the burden: You can always count on him to carry the ball in an emergency.
15. to continue or give renewed vigor to an activity already under way: When their interest lagged, he tried to keep the ball rolling.
16. If you don't get on the ball, you'll be fired.
1. alert and efficient or effective:If you don't get on the ball, you'll be fired.
2. indicating intelligence or ability:The tests show your students don't have much on the ball. The new manager has a lot on the ball.
17. union leaders suspected of playing ball with racketeers.
1. to begin or continue playing a game.
2. to start or continue any action.
3. to work together; cooperate:union leaders suspected of playing ball with racketeers.
18. to assume responsibility or work enthusiastically: If management approves the concept, we'll run with the ball.
19. to put into operation; begin: The recreation director started the ball rolling by having all the participants introduce themselves.

1. to make into a ball (sometimes fol. by up): The children were balling up snow to make a snowman.
2. to wind into balls: to ball cotton.
3. . to have sexual intercourse with.

1. to form or gather into a ball: When the spun sugar balls, the candy has cooked sufficiently.
2. . to have sexual intercourse.
1. to act with speed.
2. to stake everything on one attempt.
4. to make or become utterly confused; muddle: The records had been all balled up by inefficient file clerks.

ball

1. a large, usually lavish, formal party featuring social dancing and sometimes given for a particular purpose, as to introduce debutantes or benefit a charitable organization.
2. a thoroughly good time: Have a ball on your vacation!

Ball

1. born 1909, U.S. lawyer, investment banker, and government official.
2. died 1381, English priest: one of the leaders of Wat Tyler's peasants' revolt in 1381.
3. 1911–89, U.S. actress.