ball

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 aoften vulgar : testis bplural (1)often vulgar : nonsense —often used interjectionally (2)often vulgar : nerve 33: a game in which a ball is thrown, kicked, or struck ; also : quality of play in such a game4 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>

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