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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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