ball1 nounball2 verb
ballball1 /bɔːl $ bɒːl/ ●●● S1 W2 noun 
WORD ORIGINball1
Origin:
1-7, 10-17 1200-1300 Old Norse böllr8-9 1600-1700 French bal, from Old French baller ‘to dance’, from Late Latin ballare, from Greek ballizeinEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a big beach ball
- Comets are balls of ice and dirt that circle the sun.
- It was the first time I'd ever been invited to a ball.
- Mommy, where's my ball?
- Shape the cookie dough into balls and put them in the refrigerator.
- The kitten was playing with a ball of yarn.
- The University holds a summer ball at the end of June.
- When hedgehogs are in danger, they curl their bodies into tight balls.
- Alomar said it was a ball.
- But suddenly the sight of Giuseppe Signori's invitingly lofted ball into the penalty area put a spring in his step.
- Instead of bowling the ball, which bore a small silver shield, Mr Cottle threw it at a low-flying swan.
- Lukic must have seen the ball extremely late but still managed to get down well.
- She wants it for a ball, this poor unbalanced girl.
- The 49ers had the ball on the Bengals' 6-yard line, first-and-goal, down by a touchdown.
- The mallet whacked into the wooden ball, and the women laughed as the men groaned.
- Then she travels with the ball.
THESAURUS
an organized social event where people to go dance: · The dance will be held in the school gym.
a large formal occasion where people dance: · The University holds a ball at the end of June.
a formal dance party for high school students, especially in the US, usually held at the end of a school year: · Who’s your date for the prom?
American English a dance at which you must wear formal clothes: · He rented a tuxedo to wear to his company’s holiday formal.
a place or social event where people dance to recorded popular music: · She met Nick at a school disco.
a place where people go at night to dance: · We went out for dinner and then to a club.
a social event when a lot of people meet together to enjoy themselves by eating, drinking, dancing etc: · We’re having a party for Sarah’s 40th birthday.· I met my boyfriend at a party.
an informal party: · Christmas is the perfect time for a family get-together.
a large formal party where people dance: · the end of term ball
a large party which is held outside or in an empty building, where people dance to music and take illegal drugs
a large formal party, especially one after a wedding or to welcome an important person: · The wedding reception is at a nearby hotel.· a reception for the Thai Foreign Minister· They attended a White House reception to mark the Queen’s visit.
a large formal or official party: · He has been asked to play at many corporate functions (=an official party held by a company).
a party or special event that is organized in order to celebrate something: · the country’s 50th anniversary celebrations· It was a 21st birthday celebration which Mary would never forget.
informal a party, especially a big one that a lot of famous people go to – used especially in journalism: · the star’s birthday bash· a picture of him at a Hollywood bash· a showbiz bash
British English informal a party: · We’re having a do to celebrate Margaret’s birthday.
a party where people are invited to someone’s house for an evening meal: · I met him at a dinner party.
a party that you have when you move into a new house: · We’re having a house-warming next week.
(also drinks party British English) a party that people go to in order to talk and have a drink together for a few hours
British English, costume party American English a party where people dress in special clothes, for example to look like a famous person or a character in a story
especially British English a social event just before a wedding, for a woman who is getting married and her female friends
British English, bachelor party American English a social event just before a wedding, for a man who is getting married and his male friends
American English an event at which people give presents to a woman who is going to have a baby or get married
Longman Language Activatora social event where people dance an organized social event where people go to dance: · Do you want to go to the dance on Saturday night?hold a dance (=organize a dance): · Dances used to be held in the church hall at least once a month.dinner dance (=a formal event with dinner and dancing): · The Society are holding their 15th anniversary dinner dance at the Broomshill Hotel.
a place where people go at night to dance to loud popular music: · I met some friends at a party and then we went on to a club.go clubbing (=go to one or more clubs): · If you want to go clubbing, London's the place to be.
a place or fairly informal social event where people dance to popular music: · Nick met Rachel at a disco when she was 17 years old.· It was a small seaside town with a couple of bars and one shabby-looking disco.
a formal social event at which people dance and wear formal clothes: · It was the first time I'd ever been invited to a ball.hold a ball: · The University holds a summer ball at the end of June.
a social event for high school students in the US where there is music and dancing, and that people usually go to with a partner: · Joey walked me home after the prom.high school prom: · The band first played together at a high school prom.
when someone has the right or responsibility to decide especially spoken if you say it's up to someone, you mean that that person should make the decision about something, and no one else: · "Where would you like to go this evening?" "It's up to you - it's your birthday."it is up to somebody what/when/whether etc: · It's up to them what they do with their money.it is entirely up to somebody: · I think you should take the job, but of course it's entirely up to you.
formal use this when only one person or group has the right or authority to make a decision about something important: · We cannot say if he's guilty or not. That is for the court to decide.it is for somebody to decide what/whether/when etc: · It's for you to decide whether you go to university or not - not your parents.
if the ball is in your court , it is your turn to make a decision and other people are waiting for that decision: · I've told you what I think of your idea -- the ball's in your court now.· The terrorists had made their demands clear and the ball was in the government's court.
if a decision rests with someone, they have the authority to decide what should be done: · The committee has made certain recommendations, but the final decision rests with the President.· Responsibility for any military operation always rested with the commander.
to enjoy doing something to get pleasure from doing something: · Did you enjoy the party?enjoy doing something: · My father always enjoyed playing golf at weekends.enjoy yourself (=do things that make you feel happy): · The park was full of people enjoying themselves in the sunshine.thoroughly/greatly enjoy: · Thanks for a lovely evening. I thoroughly enjoyed it.· Most of the students said that they had really enjoyed the day out.enjoy every minute/moment of something: · It was a wonderful vacation - we enjoyed every minute of it.enjoy something immensely especially British: · Parts of the play were extremely funny. I enjoyed it immensely.
to enjoy doing something, especially something that you do regularly or for a long time: · I don't like meetings, especially if they go on for too long.like doing something: · We liked living abroad. It was a wonderful experience.like to do something (=do something often or regularly because you enjoy it): · Nick likes to relax and read a book in the evenings.
especially spoken to enjoy doing something very much and get a lot of pleasure out of it: · Cassie works in the theatre, and she really loves it.love doing something: · Ben loves swimming, playing tennis, those kinds of thing.love to do something (=do something often or regularly because you enjoy it a lot): · She loved to sit in the park and feed the ducks.
especially spoken to enjoy yourself very much when you are with other people: · We had a great time last night - you should have come.· Did you have a good time at the beach?have a good/great etc time doing something: · The kids all had a wonderful time meeting up at each other's houses.
informal to enjoy yourself very much by going out a lot and spending a lot of money on social activities: · Pat spent most of his time at college going to parties and living it up.· I had saved about two thousand dollars, so I decided to whoop it up in Vegas before going home.
to enjoy yourself with other people, for example by relaxing, talking, or laughing with them: · I was having so much fun I forgot how late it was.have fun doing something: · We had fun trying to guess who Mike's new girlfriend was.
especially American, informal to have a very good time: · We went down to the Gulf Coast of Florida for spring break - we had a blast!
informal to enjoy yourself very much: · "Your vacation sounds fantastic.'' "We had the time of our lives!''have the time of your life/have a whale of a time doing something: · Alan was having the time of his life, playing to an admiring audience.· The kids all had a whale of a time, in and out of the pool all day.
to enjoy doing or seeing something: · I get a real kick out of watching my son learning to speak.· Jody got a kick out of trying some of the new video games.
an object shaped like a ball · Shape the cookie dough into balls and put them in the refrigerator.· When hedgehogs are in danger, they curl their bodies into tight balls.ball of · The kitten was playing with a ball of yarn.· Comets are balls of ice and dirt that circle the sun.
shaped like a ball - use this in technical contexts: · At the top of each column is a perfect sphere of white marble.· The volume of a sphere is equal to twice the square of its radius, multiplied by pi.
a ball-shaped object, especially one that is used for decoration: · For the occasion the town square was lit up by coloured globes strung together.· The stuffed birds had been encased in glass globes.
to make something start happening to make something start happening: · The police have already started an investigation.· The referee couldn't start the game because there were fans on the field.· A 'safe neighbourhood' campaign has been started by local residents.
: launch an attack/appeal/inquiry etc to start a public or military activity, when there is a clear aim that you want to achieve: · Rebel forces launched an attack on the capital.· Police are launching a major murder inquiry.· The local hospital has launched a campaign to raise money for new X-ray equipment.
: open an investigation/inquiry to start an official process of gathering information about a particular problem, in order to find out what caused it or to find a solution: · Police have opened an investigation into the girl's disappearance.· The Football Association are to open an inquiry into recent crowd trouble.
formal to start something such as an official process or discussion about something important: · Peace talks have been initiated in an attempt to avert full scale war.· The couple plan to initiate legal proceedings against the police.
to make something happen, especially something serious, difficult, or important: · The murder sparked off a wave of protests in the city.· Recent freak weather conditions have sparked off renewed fears about the effects of global warming.
also set into motion American to start a process or series of events that will continue for a long time even if you take no further action: · A few months later the divorce procedure was set in motion.· The government had already set into motion a series of reforms.· Wait's actions had set in motion a chain of events that would eventually result in his dismissal.
informal to start a meeting, discussion, event etc by doing something in order to encourage other people to take part in it as well: · Mark stood up and asked the first question to get the ball rolling.· To start the ball rolling, the government was asked to contribute £50,000 to the new charity.
to make a process start by doing or arranging the first part of it, after which it will become easier: · Change is certainly needed and the new headteacher needs to get things moving quickly.· Once we got things moving, the deal went through very quickly.
spoken use this to say that you now want to start something that you have been planning: · Are you all packed and ready? Right, let's get this show on the road.· We're having another meeting next week, hopefully to really get this show on the road.
WORD SETSairbed, nounalbum, nounamusement arcade, nounamusement park, nounaquarium, nounarcade, nounauditorium, nounbachelor party, nounball, nounballoon, nounballroom, nounballroom dancing, nounbank holiday, nounbanquet, nounbanqueting hall, nounbarhop, verbbash, nounbask, verbbean feast, nounbeauty contest, nounbeer mat, nounblock party, nounboathouse, nounbon vivant, nounbooking, nounbooze-up, nounbop, nounbouncer, nounbrasserie, nounbumper car, nounbus, verbcafé, nouncaff, nouncanteen, nouncard, nouncarnival, nouncarousel, nouncarry-out, nouncarvery, nouncassette player, nouncassette recorder, nounceilidh, nounchannel surfing, nouncheckroom, nouncircus, nouncloakroom, nounclosing time, nounclubbing, nouncoconut shy, nouncoffee house, nouncoffee shop, nouncommunity centre, nouncomp, nounconcession stand, nouncounty fair, nouncracker, noundating agency, nounday camp, noundesignated driver, noundinner dance, noundinner party, noundisco, noundiscotheque, noundive, noundiversion, noundivert, verbdo, noundoor prize, noundrinks party, nouneat, verbfad, nounfandango, nounfanzine, nounflower arranging, nounfootpath, nounfree house, noungame, nounget-together, nounhappy hour, nounholdall, nounhouse party, nounice skate, nounice-skate, verbjukebox, nounjumble, nounjumble sale, nounknitting needle, nounleisure centre, nounlending library, nounlounge, nounlounge bar, nounmacramé, nounmask, nounmasked ball, nounmasquerade, nounmaster of ceremonies, nounmatador, nounmaypole, nounMC, nounmen's room, nounmerrymaking, nounmixer, nounnightclub, nounnightlife, nounnight spot, nounoffice party, nounopening time, nounopen mike, nounorgy, nounouting, nounpageant, nounpageantry, nounPancake Day, nounparty, nounparty, verbparty favor, nounparty piece, nounpeepshow, nounpep rally, nounperm, verbpetting zoo, nounPG, nounpinball, nounpitch, nounpizzeria, nounpony-trekking, nounpostprandial, adjectivepress, nounpub, nounpub-crawl, nounpublican, nounpublic bar, nounquality time, nounquiz, nounR & R, nounradio-cassette player, nounraffle, nounraffle, verbrave, nounrecreation, nounrecreation room, nounrelaxation, nounrendezvous, nounrest room, nounrevel, verbreveller, nounrevelry, nounrifle range, nounroadhouse, nounroast, nounrodeo, nounRollerblade, nounroller skate, nounround, nounsaloon, nounsauna, nounset, adjectiveshooting gallery, nounshower, nounsideshow, nounsiesta, nounsingalong, nounsingsong, nounskinny-dipping, nounsnack bar, nounsnug, nounsocial, nounsoda fountain, nounsoiree, nounsolarium, nounspectator, nounspree, nounsteakhouse, nounstrip club, nounstrip joint, nounstripper, nounstrip show, nounstriptease, nounsummer camp, nounsummer holidays, nounsummer vacation, nounsunbed, nounsunlamp, nountable d'hôte, nountavern, nounteahouse, nountearoom, nountea shop, nountheme party, nounthree-star, adjectivetop table, nountrophy, nounTurkish bath, nounvacation, nounvideo arcade, nounwander, nounwassail, verbweekend, verbweekender, nounwindow-shopping, nounwomen's room, nounworkbasket, nounzoo, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYverbs
With six minutes remaining, he blasted the ball through the Coleraine defences for his 19th goal of the season. United scored just before half-time when Adcock cleverly chipped the ball over the keeper. a white silk wedding gown Sheringham was the first player to reach the loose ball. Roll the dough into small balls. Roy steals the ball four times in the first half.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
· Suzy threw the ball to Matthew.
· He’s useless at sport; he can’t even catch a ball.
· He swung the bat back and hit the ball hard.
· Greg kicked the ball upfield to Will.
· He was in the yard bouncing a ball against the wall.
· Then the Cowboys got the ball again.
(=not catch or hit it)· I was trying hard but I kept missing the ball.
· The ball just rolled past the hole.
· The ball flew over the goalkeeper’s head and into the net.
· In tennis, the ball must only bounce once.
(=hits something and moves back and away from it again)· The ball hit the goalpost and rebounded.
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + ball· She was practising hitting golf balls.
· He was bouncing around like a ping-pong ball.
(=a large light ball used on the beach)· Dad, will you blow up the beach ball?
ball + NOUN· He’s always watching ball games on TV.
· Practising ball skills helps a child’s coordination.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES (=the most beautiful girl at a dance or party)
With six minutes remaining, he blasted the ball through the Coleraine defences for his 19th goal of the season. United scored just before half-time when Adcock cleverly chipped the ball over the keeper. (=the rounded part of your foot at the base of the toes)· He has a blister on the ball of his foot.
· board games such as Monopoly and Scrabble
a white silk wedding gown Sheringham was the first player to reach the loose ball. Roll the dough into small balls. Roy steals the ball four times in the first half.· There must be an old Navy uniform and a few ball bearings somewhere on Treasure Island.· They were rolling it on rusty ball bearings.· Once fired, the blast would fire the ball bearings out toward the enemy and covered quite an area.· In the first system the rotation of the mouse's wheels or ball bearing are transferred to rollers.· The football's got ball bearings in it.· Many machines use ball bearings to reduce friction.
· Now the hard leather cricket ball had inflamed this old injury.· Can his death really be blamed on a cricket ball?· Winston Churchill, with extraordinary perspicacity, wrote at the time: Meeting an artillery attack is like catching a cricket ball.· Meeting an artillery attack is like catching a cricket ball.· There were no houses, no people, no hills, and not a rock bigger than a cricket ball.
· They must not have hired him for his political foresight, either, because his crystal ball record is abysmal.· Gazing into our crystal ball, we see Scott breaking her campaign promise to not privatize Tucson Water.· You are on a globe that looks like a crystal ball or a marble in a light bed of cotton wool.· Not glass to reflect bit of the world, but a crystal ball to look into soas to understand the world.· The scientists' crystal ball is a bit cloudy on some things though.· A crystal ball in which one can call up the past?· Or maybe you have seen a crystal ball containing a tiny house which you can shake to produce a brilliant snowstorm?· If you are still out of work, the tribunal has to gaze into its crystal ball.
· Although not my cup of tea, I must admit Manchester United is a whole new ball game.· Analysts said the company had done just what it needed to do to stay in the telephone company ball game.· So obviously if he's hidden this one, he's playing a whole new ball game.· Nothing works quite like finger food in terms of complementing a b-ball game.· There are many simple exercises you can do to help people keep moving which can be done sitting down such as ball games.· Every year it should be a slightly different ball game to keep every species slightly out of equilibrium.· There is a strong argument for insisting that he is the outstanding performer in any ball game.· Read in studio Still to come on Central News, it's a whole new ball game.
· Theatre dressing room-style fittings with small golf ball bulbs are especially effective.· A 3-ounce roll is the size of a golf ball.· But with being a keen golfer, I developed a keen eye for a golf ball and a distance.· I accept that a golf ball is inanimate.· Hernias vary in size from a golf ball to a football and can strike at any age.· I understand that a golf ball does not have ears or a brain or even a nervous system.· It can detect a steel sphere half the size of a golf ball, at a range of 70 yards.· Reunion Tower, a downtown landmark, looks like a giant, electric golf ball on 50-story tee.
· Her ball gown was an old grey dress which she had prettified with some lengths of Brussels lace.· The inaugural ball gown was an emphatic announcement that the first lady was going to play the style game her way.· They are in their tuxedos and ball gowns.· No one breakfasts in ball gowns anymore, but many people still dress up for the afternoon races.· She wore a yellow taffeta ball gown with black pumps and matching bum bag for her liver treats!· There will not be a shortage of ball gowns and tuxes.· The women wore ball gowns and jewels and looked like royal butterflies.· National stores have had ball gowns shipped in from all over the country.
· And the cost of a day at the ball park?· He can walk to the ball park from the house.· Change-up curves are what Mantle hits out of ball parks.
· Yes, Ezra is a tennis ball, does bounce on, off, along, over everything.· You can tell her all about the time I hit a tennis ball off the moon.· The cat, although nervous, appears unharmed by the tennis ball which has just struck it amidships.· Luckily, that problem turned out to be nothing more than a tennis ball lodged in a downspout.· More cheerfully he trotted after Lou, catching the tennis ball as it came bouncing towards him.· The ghost of the tennis ball is coming to haunt the man.· These days you hardly ever see a child with a small rubber or tennis ball.· My cheek was swollen like I had misplaced a tennis ball.
VERB· Rawson then bowled the next ball wide of the stumps before joining his team in a frantic dash for the pavilion.· He rolls around the bed like a loose bowling ball in the trunk of the car.· With the scores level, Akram then had Mallender caught at slip via a rebound and bowled Tufnell next ball.· His face was smooth as a bowling ball, the skin tight and bright, masking hard inner muscle.· Place a set of wickets about ten feet from a second position from where a person is going to bowl a ball.· Fairbrother, on 18, was bowled by a quicker ball from Warnaweera.
· The ever-enthusiastic and friendly Bobby Skinstad volunteered to lift me up from behind for me to catch the ball.· The Steeler receivers run well after they catch the ball, so you have to tackle well in the secondary.· Winston Churchill, with extraordinary perspicacity, wrote at the time: Meeting an artillery attack is like catching a cricket ball.· He caught the ball in rhythm and drained the 3-pointer with 15. 7 seconds left.· More cheerfully he trotted after Lou, catching the tennis ball as it came bouncing towards him.· In fact, Alou was scratched because he jammed his left wrist the night before trying to catch a home-run ball.· He helps in a lot of other ways than catching the ball.· He caught the ball and took off, all 320 pounds of him.
· With outstretched arm he dropped the ball in the circle.· Parore dropped Lewis first ball, and again before stumps.· That was before Muirbrook dropped the ball, which Raiders cornerback Lionel Washington recovered.· Those who drop the ball return to number one and those below that number move up one place.· Another time he dropped a ball of crunched-up math paper on my desk.· My handling skills have always been reasonable in all sports, and I managed to complete the exercise without dropping a ball.· If a 260 tennis coach followed this philosophy, students would practice dropping the ball for a week.
· Then Page gets the ball on the half way line.· Illinois gets the ball and Eddie promptly steals it.· Platt got the ball in the net again after 31 minutes, but he was ruled offside.· They are so good at forcing turnovers and getting the ball out.· I got the glass ball in one hand and the arrow in the other.· The object in every game for us is to get the ball to Tim Brown early because he is our go-to guy.· He looks dangerous every time he gets the ball.· I really wanted to get the ball in the end zone to put the game out of reach.
· Also, some think that because they are holding a driver they have to hit the ball much harder.· You can tell her all about the time I hit a tennis ball off the moon.· Some one who hits the ball with great accuracy on the volley and with some power too.· I hit the ball well and a very loud cheer went up.· On the other hand, I do hit the ball tremendously hard and with various violent spins.· Pow, Janir hit a long ball into the blackberry bushes beside the creek.· That created a little space and I just hit the ball.· His strength was hitting the ball to left.
· He said he felt like somebody grabbed his arm to keep him from holding the ball.· You hold one ball in each hand.· Nobody gained much, but Hicks held on to the ball.· She was just standing there beaming, holding this big ball of fluff in her arms.· After the catch, he crashed hard into the barrier but held on to the ball.· His great skill is to be able to hold the ball back without changing his action.· Young, holding the ball a little too long, came through the sacks without a dent.
· Peter was as steady as a rock, keeping the ball on the fairway and hitting nearly every green in regulation.· It was she, far more than her husband, who kept the conversational ball rolling.· Nowadays, even wings are expected, like everyone else, to keep the ball available.· We wanted to shorten the game and keep the ball away from their offense.· I went, I tried the game, and I liked it straight off, even though I kept missing the ball.· Volume 2 deals with general idioms e.g. keep the ball rolling, the proof of the pudding.· For the boys, there is no point in the repetitive instructions to keep the ball on the ground.
· After a few laps of the track we could kick a ball about or even have a go at throwing a javelin.· So when they played after school, they improvised by kicking a tennis ball.· You can also invent little games, such as kicking a ball in a bucket or bowl of water.· Just kicked the ball, I guess.· There is only one option left for the attacking team - to kick the ball.· Did you kick the ball and then run fast?· That would soon stop teams kicking the ball away.· They remind you of a bunch of schoolboys wandering down a lonely road, kicking a ball along.
· Iain Balshaw was turned over on the wing, only for Queensland to lose the ball again.· The rules allow five minutes to search for a lost ball.· He lost the ball in a tackle and so spilled CI's chances of a perfect start.· He lost the ball when he hit the turf but recovered the loose ball.· Five minutes later the same player received the ball in a dangerous position after Shuhel Milque lost the ball in midfield.· The pack is strong, but we lost lots of lineout ball in Dublin and never got going.· To lose your own ball in a line-out is more damaging than losing a strike against the head.
· We wanted to move the ball wide to allow Sella and Mesnel some space.· We drove down the field and did a good job moving the ball.· Look how far the head has moved past the ball.· It was a night when they moved the ball smartly around the perimeter and hit the key shots.· It is a little like throwing a ball out of a moving train.· He likes to move the ball quickly and prefers to throw in the 10-20-yard range.· He attempted to escape by hitting a nine-iron left-handed but succeeded in only moving the ball a couple of inches.· They moved the ball, hit the open man, hustled and scrapped.
· Eventually, some one passed me the ball.· The midfielders and defenders passed the ball around in their end of the field, 10 or 15 passes at a time.· There was a moment, during a general kick-about, when some one passed me the ball.· The Ramblers pass a soccer ball back and forth, a display of agility and grace.· He rarely passes the ball away, and in his role you need that.· So Kobe Bryant passed the ball to Duncan in the final seconds for the West.· They have so much attacking talent, pass the ball crisply, move lithely and carve out openings galore.· But Dollar does not pass the ball as Edney comes at him.
· From a hurried clearance, I think, Wallace picked up the ball and went past 4 defenders to the bye-line.· I thought she was going to pick up the ball or something, she was so small.· His mistakes usually make Lukic pick the ball out of the net.· It was Cooper picking off the ball and feeding Thompson.· The man had picked up the ball, and peered down at Nick through dark-rimmed, bleary eyes.· He picked up the ball and walked the length of the yard with six of us hanging on him.· He picked up the ball 25 yards out and attempted to chip Royce.· After the Luisenos gain a quick advantage, however, a Sanjuaneno picks up the ball.
· The first option is to play the ball as it lies.· It was a timeless scene: a brick house, a mown meadow, a man and his boy playing ball.· This now prevents players who are in front of the ball from advancing forward towards an opponent waiting to play the ball.· She played ball, she had difficulty with spelling, and she wanted to be a doctor when she grew up.· These are the two accepted ways of playing the rising ball.· Unfortunately, the team is playing catch-up and make-up ball.· He has no one to play ball with and tosses his ball against the wall in a most despondent fashion.· When they break a window playing ball or lose something that belongs to a friend, they should make amends.
· I rolled out like a ball but sneaked back in on the back seat.· He picked lint from his pants, rolled it into a ball, and flicked it across the room.· They were rolling it on rusty ball bearings.· At first, the teacher would play just with Hannah, rolling a ball to her.· Hateley instantly exploited the error, rolling the ball back to Ian Ferguson and what followed was hell for defender Sergei Fokine.· He can move forwards, rolling the ball forwards, and then come back almost to sit on his heels.· A hedgehog tries to climb up the net and when it hears you approach it promptly rolls up into a ball.· He rolled it into a ball, put it into his mouth, chewed.
· So, far from encouraging sides to run the ball more often, we have the opposite.· When we ran the ball and we blocked I got yards.· The sessions will include all the usual techniques like running with the ball, passing, defending, shooting and more.· I really think they thought they were going to run the ball with him.· When you run your healing ball within yourself, you must roll it everywhere.· They planned on running the ball.· Here we had to run, with the ball, through two players holding padded tackle bags.· Kansas City wants to run the ball.
· Children were playing and throwing a ball for each other to catch.· I would throw the ball and he would just sit there with a stupid look on his face.· It is a little like throwing a ball out of a moving train.· Take the act of throwing a ball.· Not bad for hitting, throwing and catching a ball - but also unaffordable.· Young should have thrown the ball away on second-and-goal from the 5.· The rest of the team try to throw the ball to their catcher and if they succeed they get a point.· He throws an imaginary ball in the air and serves it to the horizon.
· If a defending player has a loose lace and this touches the ball, may the attacking side drop for goal?· Napoleon Kaufman, making his third consecutive start, certainly wants to touch the ball more frequently.· Also the incident when he hacked their left winger in the box, he never touched the ball.· This was another night to greet Scottie Pippen with a constant chorus of boos every time he touched the ball.· Tortolano fed Weir and he touched the ball on to McGinlay, who ran through a porous home defence to score easily.· Terrell and I knew we would touch the ball a limited number of times.· O'Connell's header found Graham completely unmarked inside the penalty box but Goram did enough to touch the ball on to the bar.· The first-half, however, may be best remembered for what happened to a player who hardly touched the ball.
· It bounced up and I turned to see the ball hovering above my stumps.· The penalty gave the Jaguars a first down instead of having to turn the ball over to the Raiders.· Gary Lund raced in for the rebound but Marker turned the ball round the post.· Sprinkle the sesame seeds over it. Turn each ball around in the coating, lightly pressing it in.· But no, as I watched, he turned a ball elegantly off his legs and called for a quick single.· There are not many times you can turn the ball over five times and win.· Grobbelaar flapped at McGee's cross and when Miller drove in a low shot Sanchez turned the ball into the net.· They missed 10 of 26 free throws and turned the ball over 16 times.
· He wanted to win the ball and did not have the slightest intention of injuring Uzzell, he added.· For this we needed to win quick ball in the loose where Tordo was excellent.· But London won enough of the ball for Carling to display his acceleration and his priceless ability to time a pass.· United keeper, Paul Kee should have won the ball, punched it clear.· Clarke won plenty of line-out ball, but Andy Reed and Paul Burnell in the front five did not contribute as expected.· However, real problems may arise once Leinster attempt to win the loose ball.· Gloucester's problem was that they still could not win enough of the ball.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► no ball► no ball► keep several/too many etc balls in the air► drop the ball► ball-buster/ball-breakerPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► in the (right) ball park► a ball-park figure/estimate/amount
1round object [countable] a round object that is thrown, kicked, or hit in a game or sportthrow/hit/kick/catch etc a ball- But the ball is in our court.
- The kids had a ball building sandcastles.
- A playground and playhouse keep the tots happy while the teenagers have a ball with a whole host of absorbing activities.
- Besides, to be really crass about it, the publicity people are going to have a ball with this.
- Have dinner, have a ball, then spend the night, provided you have reservations.
- He and I just have a ball.
- No matter where you go, what your interests, if you are into celebrating, you can have a ball.
- We have a ball in my bag.
- That guy has balls.
- A bit like Dorigo ie he can cross a good ball when necessary.
- Anyway he is 24, is a good ball winner and throws himself around a bit.
- Jackson will supplant Charlie Ward as the starting point guard, giving the team a better ball distributor.
- Leeds do play a lot of football, but they hit a long ball as well.
- Phillips seized on a long ball and found himself with only Manninger to beat.
- Pow, Janir hit a long ball into the blackberry bushes beside the creek.
- Root threw me a fast ball.
- Benton is in charge of marketing, personnel, sales - the whole ball of wax.
- There are two games left for the whole ball of wax.
- They are responsible for the whole ball of wax; every-thing.
- A ball of fire he might be, but he'd made one big mistake!
- Douglas was a ball of fire all season.
- One witness described seeing a plume of moke and a ball of fire and then seeing a body on the road.
- Calluses grow on the ball of the foot and do not have a nucleus.
- However, I would suggest that you subsequently attack employing the ball of the foot rather than the injured instep.
- Raise your back heel and rest your weight on the ball of the foot.
- The heel of your leading foot should touch the ground, just before the ball of the foot and toes.
- The jumping turning kick: strike with the ball of the foot, keeping the back leg tucked up.
- A photographer who was on the ball got some great pictures of the incident.
- Calluses grow on the ball of the foot and do not have a nucleus.
- He was turning on the ball right away against veteran pitchers.
- Parks is a man who knows how to keep his eye on the ball.
- Super slow-motion replays appeared to show O'Driscoll did not apply downward pressure on the ball.
- The cricketer himself seems intent on something earlier; back on the ball by June.
- The thinking behind that extra half inch was it would give me better plate coverage on the ball away.
- There seemed to be no time on the ball, and poor Dylan Kerr was run ragged down the right wing.
- They were the black men who did, indeed, have it on the ball.
- Ali MacGraw set the ball rolling with Love Story.
- And laughter is infectious ... so a little bit of effort on the small screen could start the ball rolling.
- Does that make a difference, or did he and others just start the ball rolling?
- He will keep the ball rolling.
- Her words started the ball rolling.
- To start the ball rolling, the government was asked to contribute £1 million.
- Volume 2 deals with general idioms e.g. keep the ball rolling, the proof of the pudding.
- Wolves play a similar style, and at times one yearned for some one to set the ball rolling ... literally.
- I used to be a teacher, so working in an office is a whole new ball game.
- Although not my cup of tea, I must admit Manchester United is a whole new ball game.
- Read in studio Still to come on Central News, it's a whole new ball game.
- So obviously if he's hidden this one, he's playing a whole new ball game.
- He has no one to play ball with and tosses his ball against the wall in a most despondent fashion.
- It seemed clear to us that we would always have the time to play ball and get better as we went along.
- It was a timeless scene: a brick house, a mown meadow, a man and his boy playing ball.
- She played ball, she had difficulty with spelling, and she wanted to be a doctor when she grew up.
- The editor would have doubled it, if you'd played ball with me.
- There is a simple, inexpensive solution for those who refuse to play ball with the system.
- When they break a window playing ball or lose something that belongs to a friend, they should make amends.
- William Floyd, after a run to nowhere, spiked the ball a mile high.
Weiskopf hit the ball 330 yards and a cheer went up.a tennis/golf/cricket etc ball2round shape [countable] something formed or rolled into a round shape: a ball of string Shape the dough into balls.3game/sport [uncountable] any game or sport played with a ball, especially baseball or basketball: D'you want to go out and play ball? Dad likes college ball.4foot/hand the ball of the foot/hand the rounded part of the foot at the base of the toes, or the rounded part of the hand at the base of the thumb5on the ball informal able to think or act quickly and intelligently: an assistant who’s really on the ball6set/start/keep the ball rolling to start something happening: To start the ball rolling, the government was asked to contribute £1 million.7the ball is in somebody’s court it is their turn to take action or to reply: I’ve emailed him – now the ball’s in his court.8formal occasion [countable] a large formal occasion at which people dance► see thesaurus at party9have a ball informal to have a very good time10balls [plural] informal not polite a)testicles b)courage: · I didn’t have the balls to ask. c) British English spoken something that is stupid or wrong SYN nonsense: · That’s a load of balls! → balls111a fast/good/long etc ball a ball that is thrown, hit, or kicked fast etc in a game or sport:
He hit a long ball to right field.12cricket no ball a ball that is thrown too high, low etc towards someone trying to hit it, in the game of cricket or rounders13baseball no ball [countable] a ball that the hitter does not try to hit, because it is not within the correct area14the whole ball of wax American English informal the whole thing SYN everything15a ball of fire informal someone who has a lot of energy and enthusiasm16keep several/too many etc balls in the air to struggle to deal with more than one problem or job at the same time: The company just won’t be able to keep that many balls in the air.17drop the ball (also take your eye off the ball) to make a mistake when dealing with something because you stop thinking carefully or paying attention18ball-buster/ball-breaker informal a)a problem that is very difficult to deal with b)an offensive word for a woman who uses her authority over men → cannonball, crystal ball, wrecking ball, → play ball at play1(7)COLLOCATIONSverbsthrow a ball· Suzy threw the ball to Matthew.catch a ball· He’s useless at sport; he can’t even catch a ball.hit a ball· He swung the bat back and hit the ball hard.kick a ball· Greg kicked the ball upfield to Will.bounce a ball· He was in the yard bouncing a ball against the wall.get the ball· Then the Cowboys got the ball again.miss a ball (=not catch or hit it)· I was trying hard but I kept missing the ball.a ball rolls· The ball just rolled past the hole.a ball flies/sails· The ball flew over the goalkeeper’s head and into the net.a ball bounces· In tennis, the ball must only bounce once.a ball rebounds (=hits something and moves back and away from it again)· The ball hit the goalpost and rebounded.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + balla tennis/cricket/golf/rugby etc ball· She was practising hitting golf balls.a ping-pong/billiard/snooker etc ball· He was bouncing around like a ping-pong ball.a beach ball (=a large light ball used on the beach)· Dad, will you blow up the beach ball?ball + NOUNa ball game· He’s always watching ball games on TV.ball skills· Practising ball skills helps a child’s coordination.ball1 nounball2 verb
ballball2 verb [transitive] VERB TABLE
ball
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | ball |
| he, she, it | balls | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | balled |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have balled |
| he, she, it | has balled | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had balled |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will ball |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have balled |
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- In that time Dean is balling Marylou at the hotel and gives me time to change and dress.
WORD SETS
arabesque, nounarc, nounarch, nounball, nounball, verbbar, nouncheck, nouncheckered, adjectivechevron, nouncoil, nounconical, adjectivecorrugated, adjectivecrescent, nouncrisscross, verbcrosswise, adverbcruciform, adjectivecube, nouncurl, verbcurl, nouncurvature, nouncurved, adjectivecurvy, adjectivecylinder, nouncylindrical, adjectivediagonal, adjectivediamond, noundisc, noundome, noundouble helix, nounellipse, nounelliptical, adjectivefloral, adjectiveformation, nounformless, adjectivegeometric, adjectiveglobe, nounglobular, adjectiveharlequin, adjectiveheart, nounhemisphere, nounheptagon, nounhexagon, nounhoneycomb, nounhooked, adjectivehump, noun-iform, suffixlattice, nounMaltese Cross, nounmoon, nounmottled, adjectiveoblong, adjectiveoctagon, nounoval, nounovoid, adjectiveparallelogram, nounpeak, nounpentagon, nounpentagram, nounperimeter, nounpointed, adjectivepyramid, nounquadrangle, nounquadrilateral, nounradial, adjectiverectangle, nounrectangular, adjectiverectilinear, adjectiveregular, adjectivereticulated, adjectiverhomboid, nounrhomboid, adjectiverhombus, nounroll, nounround, adjectiveround, nounround, verbrounded, adjectivesemicircle, nounsolid, nounspatial, adjectivesphere, nounspiral, nounspotted, adjectivesquare, adjectivesquared, adjectivestar, nounstripe, nounstriped, adjectivestripy, adjectivesymmetrical, adjectivesymmetry, nountabular, adjectivethree-cornered, adjectivethree-dimensional, adjectivetrapezium, nountrapezoid, nountrefoil, nountriangle, nountriangular, adjectivetubular, adjectiveundulate, verbvague, adjectiveveined, adjectiveV-formation, nounwavy, adjectivewhorl, nounwiggly, adjectivezigzag, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES With six minutes remaining, he blasted the ball through the Coleraine defences for his 19th goal of the season. United scored just before half-time when Adcock cleverly chipped the ball over the keeper. a white silk wedding gown Sheringham was the first player to reach the loose ball. Roll the dough into small balls. Roy steals the ball four times in the first half.
(=the most beautiful girl at a dance or party)
With six minutes remaining, he blasted the ball through the Coleraine defences for his 19th goal of the season. United scored just before half-time when Adcock cleverly chipped the ball over the keeper. (=the rounded part of your foot at the base of the toes)· He has a blister on the ball of his foot.
· board games such as Monopoly and Scrabble
a white silk wedding gown Sheringham was the first player to reach the loose ball. Roll the dough into small balls. Roy steals the ball four times in the first half.PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► in the (right) ball park► a ball-park figure/estimate/amount
1 (also ball up) to make something form a small round shape: - I used to be a teacher, so working in an office is a whole new ball game.
- Although not my cup of tea, I must admit Manchester United is a whole new ball game.
- Read in studio Still to come on Central News, it's a whole new ball game.
- So obviously if he's hidden this one, he's playing a whole new ball game.
- He has no one to play ball with and tosses his ball against the wall in a most despondent fashion.
- It seemed clear to us that we would always have the time to play ball and get better as we went along.
- It was a timeless scene: a brick house, a mown meadow, a man and his boy playing ball.
- She played ball, she had difficulty with spelling, and she wanted to be a doctor when she grew up.
- The editor would have doubled it, if you'd played ball with me.
- There is a simple, inexpensive solution for those who refuse to play ball with the system.
- When they break a window playing ball or lose something that belongs to a friend, they should make amends.
- William Floyd, after a run to nowhere, spiked the ball a mile high.
Ray balled up his fists.2American English informal not polite to have sex with a woman