Main Entry: ¹ball

Pronunciation: \ˈbȯl\

Function: noun

Usage: often attributive

Etymology: Middle English bal, prob from Old English *beall; akin to Old English bealluc testis, Old High German balla ball, Old Norse bǫllr, Old English blāwan to blow — more at blow

Date: 13th century

1 : a round or roundish body or mass: as a : a spherical or ovoid body used in a game or sport <a tennis ball> —used figuratively in phrases like the ball is in your court to indicate who has the responsibility or opportunity for further action b : earth, globe c : a spherical or conical projectile; also : projectiles used in firearms d : a roundish protuberant anatomical structure (as near the tip of a human finger or toe or at the base of a thumb); especially : the part of the sole of the human foot between the toes and arch on which the main weight of the body rests in normal walking
2 a often vulgar : testis b plural (1) often vulgar : nonsense —often used interjectionally (2) often vulgar : nerve 3
3 : a game in which a ball is thrown, kicked, or struck; also : quality of play in such a game
4 a : a pitch not swung at by the batter that fails to pass through the strike zone b : a hit or thrown ball in various games <foul ball>

— on the ball 1 : competent, knowledgeable, alert <the other introductory essay…is much more on the ball — Times Literary Supplement> <keep on the ball>
2 : of ability or competence <if the teacher has something on the ball, the pupils won't squirm much — New Yorker>