ball
Pronunciation
[change]- enPR: bôl, IPA (key): /bɔːl/
- (Canada) IPA (key): /bɑl/
Audio (US) (file) Audio (AU) (file) - Homophone: bawl
Noun
[change]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/At_children%27s_level.jpg/220px-At_children%27s_level.jpg)
- (countable) A ball is a round thing. People often use them to play games.
- The croquet ball was hit through the wicket and the game was over.
- A ball is hit with a racquet in tennis.
- A ball is a formal dance.
- There is an inaugural ball following the swearing-in of the new President.
- Cinderella lost her glass slipper at the Prince's ball.
- (slang) (usually plural) the testicles
- John's balls ached because he hadn't had sex in two days.
- (slang) (usually plural) "guts", fortitude, moral strength
- John didn't have the balls to quit his job, divorce his wife, and start a new life in Tahiti.
Verb
[change]
Plain form |
Third-person singular |
Past tense |
Past participle |
Present participle |
- (transitive) If you ball something up, you make it into a ball shape.
- Ball the cookie dough, wrap it in paper, then freeze it.
- (slang) sexual intercourse.