ball girl

noun

: a female attendant who retrieves balls for players or officials (as in a tennis match or a baseball or basketball game)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Marissa Rohan, a 24-year-old Cal State Northridge senior who serves as the Dodgers ball girl seated down the right-field line. Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2021 At the time, Proctor didn’t realize the magnitude of being the Miami Heat’s first ball girl. Brittney Oliver, Glamour, 19 Feb. 2021 Her presence eventually inspired the Miami Heat owner's daughter, Kelly Arison, to become a ball girl, too. Brittney Oliver, Glamour, 19 Feb. 2021 Decades before the start of their relationship, Kloss—who became the number-one doubles player in 1976 and is now commissioner of World Team Tennis—met King while working as a ball girl for one of King’s matches in South Africa. Macaela Mackenzie, Glamour, 23 Sep. 2020 At Wimbledon in 1995, Tim Henman hit a ball into the head of a ball girl and was defaulted from a doubles match. Bloomberg.com, 6 Sep. 2020 But on a return of serve, a scorching forehand from Nadal hit a ball girl on the head. Jill Martin, CNN, 23 Jan. 2020 French tennis player Elliot Benchetrit caused controversy in the qualifying rounds of the Australian Open after asking a ball girl to peel his banana. CNN, 20 Jan. 2020 Scheduled in the Australian summer, the Open is where the former champion Ivan Lendl donned a Legionnaire’s cap to combat the sun and where the ball boys and ball girls still wear them. Christopher Clarey, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2020 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ball girl.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ball girl was in 1921

Dictionary Entries Near ball girl

Cite this Entry

“Ball girl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ball%20girl. Accessed 24 Mar. 2023.

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