ball

ball
[[t]bɔ͟ːl[/t]]
♦♦
balls, balling, balled
1) N-COUNT A ball is a round object that is used in games such as tennis, baseball, soccer, basketball, and cricket.

...a golf ball.

...a tennis ball.

2) N-COUNT: oft N of n A ball is something or an amount of something that has a round shape.

Thomas screwed the letter up into a ball...

They heard a loud explosion and saw a ball of fire go up.

3) V-ERG When you ball something or when it balls, it becomes round.

[V n adv/prep] He picked up the sheets of paper, and balled them tightly in his fists...

[V adv/prep] His hands balled into fists...

[V-ed] I picked up the balled socks.

PHR-V-ERG
Ball up means the same as ball.

V n P She balled the handkerchief up and threw it at his feet... Also V P n (not pron) V P Brian's face balled up like a fist.

4) N-COUNT: usu the N of n The ball of your foot or the ball of your thumb is the rounded part where your toes join your foot or where your thumb joins your hand.
5) N-COUNT A ball is a large formal social event at which people dance.
6) N-COUNT: usu pl A man's balls are his testicles. [INFORMAL, VERY RUDE]
7) See also balls
8) PHRASE: V inflects If you say that the ball is in someone's court, you mean that it is his or her responsibility to take the next action or decision in a situation.

The ball's now in your court - you have to decide what you're going to do.

9) PHRASE: V inflects If you get the ball rolling, set the ball rolling, or start the ball rolling, you start something happening.

He will go to the Middle East next week to get the ball rolling again on peace talks...

I just want enough cash to start the ball rolling.

10) PHRASE: V inflects If you are having a ball, you are having a very enjoyable time. [INFORMAL]

Outside the boys were sitting on the ground and, going by the gales of laughter, they were having a ball.

11) PHRASE: V inflects If you keep several balls in the air, you try to do several different things at once.

The detective has to discover the motive, the means and the opportunity and has to keep these three balls in the air.

...unhappy mothers trying to juggle ten balls in the air.

12) PHRASE: v-link PHR If someone is on the ball, they are very alert and aware of what is happening.

She really is on the ball; she's bought houses at auctions so she knows what she's doing.

13) PHRASE: V inflects If someone refuses to play ball, they are unwilling to do what someone wants them to do. [INFORMAL]

The association has threatened to withdraw its support if the banks and building societies refuse to play ball.

Phrasal Verbs:

English dictionary. 2008.

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Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ball — (b[add]l), n. [OE. bal, balle; akin to OHG. balla, palla, G. ball, Icel. b[ o]llr, ball; cf. F. balle. Cf. 1st {Bale}, n., {Pallmall}.] 1. Any round or roundish body or mass; a sphere or globe; as, a ball of twine; a ball of snow. [1913 Webster]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • ball — Ⅰ. ball [1] ► NOUN 1) a solid or hollow sphere, especially one that is kicked, thrown, or hit in a game. 2) a single throw or kick of the ball in a game. 3) N. Amer. a game played with a ball, especially baseball. ► VERB ▪ squeeze or form into a… …   English terms dictionary

  • ball — ball; ball·er; ball·ing; ball·iz·ing; base·ball; bee·ball; em·ball; high·ball·er; knuck·le·ball·er; spit·ball·er; bucky·ball; foos·ball; scuzz·ball; track·ball; …   English syllables

  • Ball — Ball. Ein gesellschaftlicher Tanzverein. Man leitet diesen Ausdruck von dem italienischen ballare tanzen, ballo Tanzgesellschaft, und dem französischen bal ab, was allerdings wahrscheinlicher ist als die Erklärung Nachtigall s, (in seinen… …   Damen Conversations Lexikon

  • ball — ball1 [bôl] n. [ME bal < OE * beallu < IE base * bhel , to swell > BOWL1, BLADDER, ON bǫllr, OHG balla, Gr phallos, L follis & flare] 1. any round, or spherical, object; sphere; globe 2. a planet or star, esp. the earth …   English World dictionary

  • BALL — (Biochemical Algorithms Library) is a C++ library containing common algorithms used in biochemistry and bioinformatics. The library also has Python bindings. Among the supported systems are Linux, Solaris, Microsoft Windows. The library can be… …   Wikipedia

  • Ball — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda El término ball puede hacer referencia a: Ball, el primer juego de Game Watch. bola mala, expresión utilizada en béisbol. la abreviatura botánica para John Ball. Ball, un álbum de la banda Iron Butterfly. Obtenido de …   Wikipedia Español

  • BALL (J.) — BALL JOHN (mort en 1381) La plupart des chroniques, dont celle de Froissart, présentent John Ball comme l’un des grands responsables du soulèvement des paysans et des artisans en Angleterre en 1381. Peut être, disciple de John Wyclif, aurait il… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Ball — Ball: Ball   общепринятое сокращение (обозначение) имени ботаника, которое добавляется к научным (латинским) названиям некоторых таксонов ботанической номенклатуры и указывает на то, что автором этих наименований является Болл, Джон… …   Википедия

  • Ball — Ball, n. [F. bal, fr. OF. baler to dance, fr. LL. ballare. Of uncertain origin; cf. Gr. ba llein to toss or throw, or pa llein, pa llesqai, to leap, bound, balli zein to dance, jump about; or cf. 1st {Ball}, n.] 1. A social assembly for the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Ball — Ball, v. t. 1. (Metal.) To heat in a furnace and form into balls for rolling. [1913 Webster] 2. To form or wind into a ball; as, to ball cotton. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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