ballnoun
uk/bɔːl/us/bɑːl/ball noun (ROUND OBJECT)
A1 [ C ] any object in the shape of a sphere, especially one used as a toy by children or in various sports such as tennis and football:
A1 [ C ] a long piece of thread that has been rolled into a ball:
[ C ] the rounded part of your foot or thumb where the toes join the foot and the thumb joins the hand
More examples
- She kicked the ball so powerfully that it flew over the hedge.
- He rolled the clay into a ball in his hands.
- My golf was terrible today - I just didn't strike the ball well.
- The ball bounced off the post and into the net.
- He wound the string into a ball.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Spherical, circular and annular objects
- blob
- bobble
- bowling ball
- bubble
- cylinder
- disc
- egg
- game ball
- glob
- globule
- hoop
- orb
- pellet
- pommel
- ring
- roll
- sphere
- spool
- spring
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
ball noun (KICK/THROW OF BALL)
in football, a pass from one player to another:
in baseball, a ball that is thrown to the batter but that the batter does not try to hit because it is outside the hitting area
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Football/soccer
- 18-yard box
- 2 3 5
- 4 3 2 1
- 4 4 2
- 4 5 1
- crossbar
- feint
- footballing
- futsal
- game 39
- game ball
- ghost goal
- give-and-go
- relegation
- Roy of the Rovers stuff
- scissor kick
- seal dribble
- shin guard
- shin pad
- stoppage
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
ball noun (BALL GAME)
[ U ] mainly US any game that involves throwing and catching a ball:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
General terms used in ball sports
- aggregate score
- assist
- back pass
- bobble
- center circle
- chip
- goalless
- holding
- lay
- layoff
- long ball
- man on! idiom
- man-to-man defense
- man-to-man marking
- overarm
- set piece
- shoot
- sidespin
- unplayable
- wrong-foot
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ball noun (DANCE)
[ C ] a large formal occasion where people dance:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Celebrations, parties & special occasions
- a night on the town idiom
- a/the gathering of the clans idiom
- afterparty
- April Fool's Day
- bachelor party
- fayre
- feast
- fest
- festival
- festive
- fundraiser
- Mother's Day
- New Year's Eve
- night
- nightclubbing
- nightlife
- occasion
- prom
- rave
- Valentine's Day
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Idiom(s)
ballverb [ T ]
uk/bɔːl/us/bɑːl/ball verb [ T ] (MAKE ROUND)
to make something form a closed round shape:
ball verb [ T ] (HAVE SEX)
US slang (of a man) to have sex with someone