speedball

noun speed·ball \ ˈspēd-ˌbȯl \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

Definition of speedball

1 slang : a dose of cocaine mixed with heroin or morphine or an amphetamine and usually taken by injection

2 : a game which resembles soccer but in which a ball caught in the air may be passed with the hands and in which a score is made by kicking or heading the ball between the goalposts or by a successful forward pass over the goal line

3 : one that is outstandingly fast

Recent Examples of speedball from the Web

The colt motored past the two speedballs, then seized the lead from Mississippi at the top of the stretch.

— clark spencer, miamiherald, "Audible grabs ticket to Kentucky Derby | Miami Herald," 31 Mar. 2018
The two speedballs scorched the first quarter mile in 21.95, fast for a 6 furlong sprint, suicidal for a 9-furlong two-turn race.

— tom jicha, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Kentucky Derby hopeful Audible cruises to Florida Derby victory," 1 Apr. 2018
And no one seemed to be given pause by the fact that the brand’s most famous son had mainlined a fatal speedball just across the street.

— benjamin wallace, HWD, "Can Anyone Repair National Lampoon’s Devastated Brand?," 1 May 2017
In the case of Curry, Thomas said his career stalled just as Mike D’Antoni took over as the Knicks’ coach and brought his speedball game with him.

— harvey araton, New York Times, "Jahlil Okafor Gets a Second Chance, and Nets Get a Bargain," 12 Dec. 2017
Steese panhandled enough cash for liquor and a speedball and then hopped a train heading north.

— megan rose, The Hive, "Kafka in Vegas: A Murdered Circus Star, a Dubious Confession, and America’s Prosecutorial Misconduct Epidemic," 26 May 2017
There were 24 men living in the three-bedroom, two-bath house at the time, and one brought in speedballs to share.

— ian wheeler, The Mercury News, "How some California drug rehab centers exploit addiction," 22 May 2017
And no one seemed to be given pause by the fact that the brand’s most famous son had mainlined a fatal speedball just across the street.

— benjamin wallace, HWD, "Can Anyone Repair National Lampoon’s Devastated Brand?," 19 May 2017
There were 24 men living in the three-bedroom, two-bath house at the time, and one brought in speedballs to share.

— ian wheeler, The Mercury News, "How some California drug rehab centers exploit addiction," 22 May 2017

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