Ball

biographical name

Lucille (Désirée) 1911–1989 American actress and comedienne

Kids Definition

ball

1 of 3 noun

ˈbȯl 

1

a

: something round or roundish

a ball of twine

b

: a usually round object used in a game or sport

c

: a usually round shot for a firearm

d

: the rounded bulge at the base of the thumb

also : the rounded wide part of the bottom of the human foot between the toes and arch

2

: a game or sport (as baseball) played with a ball

play ball

3

: a pitched baseball that fails to pass through the strike zone and is not struck at by the batter

ball

2 of 3 verb

: to make or come together into a ball

ball

3 of 3 noun

: a large formal party for dancing

Etymology

Middle English bal "ball"

from French bal "a dance," derived from Latin ballare "to dance" — related to ballet

Medical Definition

ball

1 of 2 noun

ˈbȯl 

: a round or roundish body or mass: as

a

: a roundish protuberant part of the body: as

(1)

: the rounded eminence by which the base of the thumb is continuous with the palm of the hand

(2)

: the rounded broad part of the sole of the human foot between toes and arch and on which the main weight of the body first rests in normal walking

(3)

: the padded rounded underside of a human finger or toe near the tip

b

: eyeball

c

often vulgar : testis

d

: a large pill (as one used in veterinary medicine) : bolus

ball

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to give a medicinal ball to (as a horse)