SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

ball-breaker

noun ball-break·er

variants: or less commonly ball breaker

Definition of ball-breaker

plural ball-breakers also ball breakers

1 : skull cracker

2 informal + sometimes offensive : ballbuster

When he was sober, he was an okay guy, but when he'd had a few too many Pabst Blue Ribbons, he was a major ball breaker.
—James O. Born, Field of Fire, 2007

There's more!

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!

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up ball-breaker? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

WORD OF THE DAY

loath

play

unwilling or reluctant

Words at Play

alt-5ade0f1ca7a0c

'Complement' vs. 'Compliment'

The distinction is clear (now).

Words from Letters in the Greek Alphabet

When English borrows from another alphabet

alt-5ada140ed3e28

'Preventive' or 'Preventative'?

alt-5ad8fc71357ed

Words We're Watching: 'Bluebeard,' the Verb

No, it's not a coiffure trend

Ask the Editors

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'feminism'

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066

Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

video-literally

Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

video-his-or-her

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

Word Games

Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

Test your knowledge of strange human behaviors.

Take the quiz

cats-on-impossible-timber

More Confusing Words—Quiz

How many of these commonly confused words do you know?

Take the quiz

Name That Thing

Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

Take the quiz

Bee Cubed

Listen to the words and spell through all three levels.

Play the game