ball hog

noun

chiefly US
: a player on a team sport (such as basketball) who controls and shoots the ball excessively instead of passing it to teammates : a player who hogs the ball
Prodigiously gifted, Bryant can also get under his teammates' skin—an occasional ball hog on the court and standoffish in the locker room.Allison Samuels et al., Newsweek, 19 June 2000

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ball hog was in 1960

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near ball hog

Cite this Entry

“Ball hog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ball%20hog. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!