Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Ball |
BallNoun1. Round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games; "the ball travelled 90 mph on his serve"; "the mayor threw out the first ball". 2. A solid ball shot by a musket; "they had to carry a ramrod as well as powder and ball". 3. Any object with a spherical shape; "a ball of fire". 4. A lavish formal dance; "she was the loveliest girl at the ball". 5. One of the two male reproductive glands that produce spermatozoa and secrete androgens; "she kicked him in the balls and got away". 6. A spherical object used as a plaything; "he played with his rubber ball in the bathtub". 7. A compact mass; "a ball of mud caught him on the shoulder". 8. A more or less rounded anatomical body or mass; ball of the human foot or ball at the base of the thumb; "he stood on the balls of his feet". 9. A ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of 9 players; teams take turns at bat trying to score run; "he played baseball in high school"; "there was a baseball game on every empy lot"; "there was a desire for National League ball in the area"; "play ball!". 10. : a pitch that is not in the strike zone; "he threw nine straight balls before the manager yanked him". Verb1. Form into a ball by winding, rolling, etc.; ball wool, for example. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "ball" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references) |
Etymology: Ball \Ball\ (b[add]l), noun. [Old English bal, balle; akin to Old High German balla, palla, German ball, Icelandic b["o]llr, ball; compare to French balle. Compare to 1st Bale, noun, Pallmall.]. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Dream Interpretation | A very satisfactory omen, if beautiful and gaily-dressed people are dancing to the strains of entrancing music. If you feel gloomy and distressed at the inattention of others, a death in the family may be expected soon. Source: Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted .... |
Finance | Cf. IT. Source: European Union. (references) |
Literature | Ball To strike the ball under the line. To fail in one's object. The allusion is to the game of tennis, in which a line is stretched in the middle of the court, and the players standing on each side have, with their rackets, to knock it alternately over the line. "Thou hast stricken the ball under the line." - John Heywoode's Works (London, 1566). To take the ball before the bound. To anticipate an opportunity; to be overhasty. A metaphor from cricket, as when a batsman runs up to meet the ball at full pitch, before it bounds. (See Balle.) Ball of Fortune (A). One tossed, like a ball, from pillar to post; one who has experienced many vicissitudes of fortune. "Brown had been from infancy a ball for fortune to spurn at." - Sir Walter Scott: Guy Mannering , chap. xxi. The ball is with you. It is your turn now. To have the ball at your feet. To have a thing in one's power. A metaphor from foot-ball. "We have the ball at our feet; and, if the government will allow it ... we can now crush out the rebellion." - Lord Auckland. To keep the ball a-rolling. To continue without intermission. To keep the fun alive; to keep the matter going. A metaphor from the game of bandy, or la jeu de la cross. "It is Russia that keeps the ball rolling [the Servian and Bulgarian War, 1885, fomented and encouraged by Russian agents]." - Newspaper paragraph, 1885. To keep the ball up. Not to let conversation or fun flag; to keep the thing going. A metaphor taken from several games played with balls. "I put in a word now and then to keep the ball up." - Bentham. To open the ball. To lead off the first dance at a ball. (Italian, ballaro, to dance.). Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Mining | A. A rounded mass of spongy iron, prepared in a puddling furnace; a loup b. A mass of tempered fire clay, used for forming the crucible incrucible-steel production. See also:ballstone. (references) |
Multilingual Slang | Romanian (coi ). (references) |
Slang | Testicle, to have sex, silly person, stupid person. (references) |
Sports & Leisure | The -- shall be spherical, made of a leather case with a bladder made of rubber. . . Circumference: 26 to 26 3/4 in. Source: European Union. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
A ball is a round object that is used most often in sports and games. Balls are usually spherical but can be other shapes, such as ovoid (only in a few special cases). In most games using balls, the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked, or thrown by players.
Balls were used in ancient history by the early Egyptians and the ancient Greeks and Romans.
Popular games involving balls include:
In baseball statistics, a ball is a pitch caught outside of the strike zone and not swung at by the batter. See ball (baseball statistics).
- American football
- Australian rules football
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Bowling
- Dodgeball
- Golf
- Football (soccer)
- Footbag
- Netball
- Rugby Football
- Squash
- Tee Ball
- Tennis
- Volleyball
For the use of ball in mathematics, see ball (mathematics).
In modern times balls have been used in machinery. The ball bearing is a device used to reduce the friction of moving parts in a wide variety of machines. Ball bearings use hardened steel balls.
For "Christmas ball," see Christmas tree.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Ball."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
In baseball, any pitch at which the batter does not swing, and which, in the opinion of the umpire, is not in the strike zone is called a ball. A batter who receives four balls in an at bat is entitled to a base on balls.
- See also : Baseball statistics
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Ball (baseball statistics)."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
In mathematics, in a metric space, a ball is a set containing all points within a specified distance of a given point. Note that with the ordinary metric, if the "space" is a line, the "ball" is an interval, if the "space" is a plane, the "ball" is the inside of a circle. With other metrics the shape of a "ball" is different, e.g. a square.
The set is often written as Br(p), meaning the ball of radius r centred on a point p. This is defined as:
where d is the distance function or metric.
- Br(p) = { x | d(x,p) < r }
Note in particular that this always includes x itself, since r > 0. In Rn, the usual distance function is given by
.
Balls with respect to a metric d form a basis for the topology induced by d. This means, among other things, that all open sets in a metric space can be written as a union of open balls.
If the less-than symbol (<) is replaced by a less-than-or-equal-to (≤), the above definition becomes that of a closed ball. This is usually notated by adding an overscore to the B.
If r = 1, then it is called a unit ball.
A set is bounded if it is contained in a ball. Conversely, a set is totally bounded if given any radius, it is covered by finitely many balls of that radius.
See also: Sphere
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Ball (mathematics)."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Ball is a town located in Rapides Parish, Louisiana. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 3,681.Geography
Ball is located at 31°24'29" North, 92°24'8" West (31.407930, -92.402316)1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 20.8 km² (8.0 mi²). 20.8 km² (8.0 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 3,681 people, 1,435 households, and 1,057 families residing in the town. The population density is 177.0/km² (458.1/mi²). There are 1,524 housing units at an average density of 73.3/km² (189.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 96.74% White, 1.58% African American, 0.65% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.43% from two or more races. 1.41% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 1,435 households out of which 37.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% are married couples living together, 16.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 26.3% are non-families. 23.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.55 and the average family size is 2.97. In the town the population is spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 82.3 males. The median income for a household in the town is $31,500, and the median income for a family is $38,588. Males have a median income of $31,667 versus $20,323 for females. The per capita income for the town is $14,178. 13.6% of the population and 10.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 15.0% are under the age of 18 and 7.6% are 65 or older.Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Ball, Louisiana."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
A football is a leather ball with which the sport football (soccer) is played. The traditional football's outer covering consists of 12 pentagons and 20 hexagons of leather sewn together. The ball is like the corresponding polyhedron (designated a truncated icosahedron, see picture there), except that it is more spherical, because the faces bulge due the pressure of the air inside.It is a model for the Buckminsterfullerene (C60) molecule. The diameter of the football and this buckyball are 22 cm and ca. 1 nm, respectively, hence the size ratio is 200,000,000 : 1.
Other designs for footballs exist, mainly being made up of curved strips of leather. There are also indoor footballs, which are made of one or two pieces of plastic. Often these have designs printed on them to resemble a traditional leather ball. In North America, the term football refers to a prolate leather ball (originally made from pigskin) which is used to play American football.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Football (ball)."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
The testicles, known medically as testes (singular testis), are the male generative glands in animals. In mammals, the testicles are paired bodies that are contained within a pouch termed the scrotum.Like the ovaries to which they are homologous, testicles are members of both the reproductive system (being gonads - see sex organs) and the endocrine system (being endocrine glands). The respective functions of the testicles are:
Under a tough fibrous shell, the tunica albuginea, the testis contains very fine coiled tubes called the seminiferous tubules. The tubes are lined with a layer of cells that from puberty until old-age produce sperm cells. The seminiferous tubules lead to the epididymis, where newly created sperm cells mature, and then into vas deferens (also called the ductus deferens) that opens into the urethra. During sexual intercourse, the sperm cells move through the ejaculatory duct and into the prostatic urethra, where the prostate, through muscular contractions, ejaculates the sperm, mixed with other fluids, out through the penis.
- producing sperm (spermatozoa)
- producing male sex hormones - mainly testosterone
Between the seminiferous tubules are special cells called interstitial cells (Leydig cells) where testosterone and other androgens are formed.
The testicles are well-known to be very sensitive to impact and injury. This has been a rich source of humor for jokes and comedic routines.
The most important diseases of testicles are:
If a testicle is medically removed (orchidectomy) or destroyed through disease or injury, testicular prostheses are available to mimic the appearance and feel of the missing testicle.
- inflammation of the testicles, called orchitis
- testicular cancer and other neoplasms
- hydrocele
- inflammation of the epididymis, called epididymitis
- spermatic cord torsion also called testicular torsion
- varicocele
Both components of the testicle, sperm-forming and endocrine, are under control of gonadotropic hormones - lutenizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), that are produced by the anterior pituitary.
See also:
- cryptorchismus
- infertility
- sterilization (vasectomy)
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Testicle."
| The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted. | |||
| Entry | Source | Expression | Field |
BALL | English | British Association for Labour Legislation | Law |
Ball | German | Ballon | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |||
Synonyms: BallSynonyms: ballock (n), baseball (n), baseball game (n), bollock (n), chunk (n), clod (n), clump (n), egg (n), glob (n), globe (n), lump (n), musket ball (n), nut (n), orb (n), orchis (n), testicle (n), testis (n). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Allocution | Verb: speak to, address, accost, make up to, apostrophize, appeal to, invoke; ball, salute; call to, halloo. |
Amusement | Dance; hop, reel, rigadoon, saraband, hornpipe, bolero, ballroom dance; minuet, waltz, polka, fox trot, tango, samba, rhumba, twist, stroll, hustle, cha-cha; fandango, cancan; bayadere; breakdown, cake-walk, cornwallis, break dancing; nautch-girl; shindig; skirtdance, stag dance, Virginia reel, square dance; galop, galopade; jig, Irish jig, fling, strathspey; allemande; gavot, gavotte, tarantella; mazurka, morisco, morris dance; quadrille; country dance, folk dance; cotillon, Sir Roger de Coverley; ballet; (drama); ball; bal, bal masque, bal costume; masquerade; Terpsichore. |
Arms | Missile, bolt, projectile, shot, ball; grape; grape shot, canister shot, bar shot, cannon shot, langrel shot, langrage shot, round shot, chain shot; balista, ballista, slung shot, trebucbet, trebucket; bullet, slug, stone, brickbat, grenade, shell, bomb, carcass, rocket; congreve, congreve rocket; shrapnel, mitraille; levin bolt, levin brand; thunderbolt. |
Regression | Missile, projectile, ball, discus, quoit, brickbat, shot; |
Rotundity | Sphere, globe, ball, boulder, bowlder; spheroid, ellipsoid; oblong spheroid; oblate spheroid, prolate spheroid; drop, spherule, globule, vesicle, bulb, bullet, pellet, pelote, clew, pill, marble, pea, knob, pommel, horn; knot (convolution). |
Sociality | Party, entertainment, reception, levee, at, home, conversazione, soiree, matin_e; evening party, morning party, afternoon party, bridge party, garden party, surprise party; kettle, kettle drum; partie carr_e, dish of tea, ridotto, rout; housewarming; ball, festival; smoker, smoker-party;sociable, stag party, hen party, tamasha; tea-party, tea-fight. (amusement); " the feast of reason and the flow of soul ". |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | You keep your eyes open, your chances of catching the ball increase by a factor of ten. (A Few Good Men; writing credit: Aaron Sorkin. Based on the play by Aaron Sorkin.) She can suck a golf ball through twenty feet of garden hose (Beverly Hills Cop II; writing credit: Eddie Murphy; Robert D. Wachs) That was a ball (A League of Their Own; writing credit: Kim Wilson; Kelly Candaele) This is a mission, not a fancy dress ball. (The Living Daylights; writing credit: Richard Maibaum) you lollygag the ball around the infield (Bull Durham; writing credit: Ron Shelton.) | |
Lyrics | Where cowards die, it's our ball (California Love; performing artist: 2 PAC) Them ballers gonna ball (Playas Gon' Play; performing artist: 3LW) YO YOU CAN GO HEAD AND BALL (Come Back In One Piece; performing artist: Aaliyah) And everybody havin' a ball (Who Let The Dogs Out; performing artist: Baha Men) At a debutante ball. (Extra Ordinary; performing artist: Better Than Ezra) | |
Clever | If the people don't want to come out to the ball park, nobody's gonna stop 'em. (references; author: Yogi Berra) There are 336 dimples on a regulation golf ball. (references; author: unknown) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Dragon Ball Z (2003) Meat Ball (1973) Teenage Birthday Ball (1973) Eight Ball (1972) Medicine Ball Caravan (1971) | |
Song Titles | KEEP THE BALL ROLLING (performing artist: Jay & The Techniques ) Odd Ball Boogie (performing artist: Malarkey) Red Rubber Ball (performing artist: The Crykle) Ball of Confusion (performing artist: The Temptations) Biggest Ball Of Twine In Minnesota, The (performing artist: Weird Al Yankovic) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
References |
| ||
Books | |||
Periodicals | |||
Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
| ||
High Tech |
| ||
Consumer Goods | |||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | This photo shows 2 children in soccer uniforms dribbling the ball across a field. See artwork: PV-44. Credit: Bill Branson (photographer). |  | First Six Women Astronauts with "Rescue Ball". Credit: NASA. |
 | The Hubble telescope has captured a view of a globular cluster called G1, a large, bright ball ... Credit: NASA. |  | Sounding machine devised by Robert Hooke Drop glass ball with weight over side Ball disengages when weight hits bottom Known rate of descent and ascent - can then derive depth Never worked right. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |
 | Golf ball sized hail. Credit: National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL). |  | Figure 26. Ball bearing swivels devised by Jules Le Blanc to prevent untimely twisting of cables, getting them caught on hull projections, or even breaking of lines. Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now. |
 | NRCS assists cooperators in analyzing soil moisture by the wet ball method for irrigation scheduling and water management. Yuma, Az. Credit: Jeff Vanuga. |  | Buttonbush is a shrub or small tree that gets its name from its fragrant ball like cluster of white flowers which bloom May-August. A good source of nectar for butterflies and seeds for ducks and deer. Credit: Dot Paul. |
 | Floyd Puckett and John Ball. Credit: Alaska Historical Image Library. |  | John Ball Refueling on Amchitka. Credit: Alaska Historical Image Library. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
 |  |
| "Last Ball Plasma" by Oliver L. Kuy Commentary: "Digital Painting by Oliver Kuy." | "Disco Ball" by Yew Leong Commentary: "Saturday nite fever." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Play | Caption | Play | Caption |
 | Striking the cue ball with the cue stick twice. | | Bowling ball rolling down the lane and hitting some pins. |
| A billiard ball being struck with a pool cue and entering the corner pocket. | | Bowling ball hitting the pins, some fall over gently. |
| A low ball with lots of buzzy overtones. | | Racquet ball hitting the wall. |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Author | Quotation |
Charles Caleb Colton | Corruption is like a ball of snow, once it's set a rolling it must increase. |
Joe Dimaggio | A ball player has got to be kept hungry be become a big leaguer. That is why no boy from a rich family ever made the big leagues. |
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe | Happiness is a ball after which we run wherever it rolls, and we push it with our feet when it stops. |
John Ball | When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman? |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Emma | Austen, Jane | No misfortune occurred, again to prevent the ball. |
A Christmas Carol | Dickens, Charles | When the clock struck eleven, this domestic ball broke up. |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | There is not one which does not show its cannon ball or its musket shot |
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | Joyce, James | Rody Kickham held the ball by its greasy lace |
Grapes of Wrath | Steinbeck, John | One foot was flat to the ground, the other rested on the ball and slightly back, so that one knee was higher than the other |
Walden | Thoreau, Henry David | The ball of the human finger is but a drop congealed |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | This is a small plastic device, shaped like a tube, with a ball inside. (references) | |
Within the muscles, the worms curl into a ball and encyst (become enclosed in a capsule). (references) | ||
You may have to miss school functions or ball games in which the siblings are participating. (references) | ||
Business | U.S. products supply 89 percent of the golf club and golf ball market and 37 percent of the golf bag market. (references) | |
Argentines tend to favor the American design, with long rolling fairways that do not affect the play or the ball position. (references) | ||
In 1999, Kulicke & Soffa, which was the world’s largest maker of semiconductor assembly equipment, relocated its production of ball bonders from the U.S. to Singapore. (references) | ||
Economic History | Sweden | Golf equipment, snowboards, paint ball equipment, water sports equipment and any of the latest fads (in-liners) are dominated by U.S. producers. (references) |
Sweden | During and after World War I, in which Sweden remained neutral, the country benefited from the worldwide demand for Swedish steel, ball bearings, wood pulp, and matches. (references) | |
Guatemala | Exports consist mainly of locally produced tires, with some exports of bodies for buses, radiators, batteries, windshield or laminated safety glass, compressors, filters, jacks, hoists, ball bearings, spark plugs, magneto dynamos, body stampings, brake drums, rotors, airbags, and seats. (references) | |
Political Economy | MALAYSIA | Import duties on 25 intermediate goods, with duties higher than finished goods (including cocoa paste, plugs and sockets, and ball point pen parts) have been reduced from between 10 and 30 percent to between 5 and 25 percent. (references) |
Trade | Mauritius | Imports of the following items are prohibited: ball valve bottles, caps for toy guns, recapped tires, white phosphorous matches, certain firecrackers, kerosene stoves, water scooters, ivory and tortoise shell, underwater fishing guns, candy in the form of cigarettes, toy crash helmets, cigarette papers, used motor vehicle spare parts, electric water heaters with bare elements, portable electric lamps, teething rings, rolling machines (other than industrial-type rolling machines) for cigarette manufacturing, blue asbestos and its products, and items containing chlorofluorocarbons (CFC). A detailed list is available from the Embassy. (references) |
Worker Rights | Pakistan | By the end of 2000, more than 6,000 children had been removed from employment in the soccer ball industry. (references) |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | DECALOGUE, n. A series of commandments, ten in number -- just enough to permit an intelligent selection for observance, but not enough to embarrass the choice. Following is the revised edition of the Decalogue, calculated for this meridian. Thou shalt no God but me adore: 'Twere too expensive to have more. No images nor idols make For Robert Ingersoll to break. Take not God's name in vain; select A time when it will have effect. Work not on Sabbath days at all, But go to see the teams play ball. Honor thy parents. That creates For life insurance lower rates. Kill not, abet not those who kill; Thou shalt not pay thy butcher's bill. Kiss not thy neighbor's wife, unless Thine own thy neighbor doth caress Don't steal; thou'lt never thus compete Successfully in business. Cheat. Bear not false witness -- that is low -- But "hear 'tis rumored so and so." Cover thou naught that thou hast not By hook or crook, or somehow, got. G.J. |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Phrase(s) |
Dennis Miller | I admit I could not be more interested in myself if I were the illegitimate son of Narcissus and Madonna looking at a disco ball through the eyes of a fly. |
Julia Child | You want to keep the mouth open so that you can put an apple in. So I just use a ball of aluminum foil. I'm going to stick that in the mouth, and that keeps the mouth open while the pig is roasting. |
Tim McGraw | Well, in some circles. You know, in some circles. But, you know, there's a lot of circles, you know, I can go in the ball parks and stuff and that's the first thing everybody wants to talk about. And that's fine with me. |
William Shatner | Roddenberry set up a concept and that was critical. A lot of people after that have run with the ball. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| "Ball" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 95.90% of the time. "Ball" is used about 7,338 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 95.9% | 7,038 | 1,378 |
| Noun (proper) | 4.03% | 296 | 16,885 |
| Lexical Verb (base form) | 0.04% | 3 | 202,518 |
| Total | 100.00% | 7,338 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes the usage of "ball" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified. |
| Name | Usage/Gender | Usage per 100 million Persons | Rank in USA |
| Ball | Last name | 34,000 | 320 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits. | |||
| Country | Name | Country | Name |
| Japan | Amatsuji Steel Ball Mfg. Co., Ltd. | USA | Ball Corporation |
| (more examples...) |
Source: compiled by the editor from Icon Group International, Inc.
1. Ball, LA (town, FIPS 4055) |
Expressions using "ball": a ball of wool ♦ ball and chain ♦ ball and socket bearing ♦ Ball and socket joint ♦ ball bearing ♦ ball bearing plummer block ♦ Ball bearings ♦ ball boy ♦ ball breaker ♦ ball cap ♦ ball carrier ♦ Ball cartridge ♦ ball club ♦ Ball cock ♦ ball costume ♦ ball dress ♦ ball end mill ♦ ball fern ♦ ball field ♦ ball fish ♦ ball game ♦ ball girl ♦ ball gown ♦ ball Ground ♦ Ball gudgeon ♦ ball hawk ♦ ball hawking ♦ ball joint ♦ Ball lever ♦ ball lightning ♦ ball nettle ♦ ball nightshade ♦ ball of fire ♦ ball of fortune ♦ ball of lint ♦ Ball of the eye ♦ ball of the eyes ♦ ball of the knee ♦ ball of thread ♦ ball of yarn ♦ ball over ♦ ball park ♦ ball pen ♦ ball player ♦ ball point ♦ ball point pen ♦ ball race ♦ ball reception ♦ ball room ♦ ball round ♦ ball State Unive ♦ ball things up ♦ ball up ♦ Ball valve ♦ Ball vein ♦ bank a ball ♦ Basket ball ♦ bat the ball out of the cricket ground ♦ be in possession of the ball ♦ be on the ball ♦ beach ball ♦ belle of the ball ♦ billiard ball ♦ black ball ♦ blow ball ♦ bocce ball ♦ bocci ball ♦ boccie ball ♦ bosie ball ♦ bowling ball ♦ breaking ball ♦ camphor ball ♦ cannon ball ♦ Canterbury ball ♦ catch the ball on the bounce ♦ clear the ball ♦ codfish ball ♦ Corn ball ♦ costume ball ♦ cotton ball ♦ cotton wool ball ♦ cricket ball ♦ croquet ball ♦ crystal ball ♦ cue ball ♦ cup and ball ♦ curve ball ♦ cut a ball ♦ cut the ball ♦ dirt ball ♦ dive for the ball ♦ dodge ball ♦ dress ball ♦ dribble the ball ♦ drop ball ♦ eight ball ♦ eye ball ♦ Fair ball ♦ Fancy ball ♦ fancy dress ball ♦ feather ball. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "ball": ball-aching, ball-act, ball-and-socket, ball-and-socket joint, ball-and-stick, ball-band, ball-bearing, ball-bearings, ball-boy, ball-boys, ball-breaker, ball-breaking, ball-burnisher, ball-busting, ball-buying, ball-by-ball, ball-by-ball-by-ball, ball-carrier, ball-cartrdige, ball-chain, ball-chained, ball-changing, ball-clay, ball-clipped, ball-clubs, ball-control, ball-crushing, ball-cum-transmitter, ball-doctoring, ball-dress, ball-dresses, ball-end, ball-ended, ball-ends, ball-feeder, ball-fiddle, ball-firing, Ball-flower, ball-game, ball-games, ball-gouging, ball-gown, ball-gowned, ball-handling, ball-hardness, ball-hawking, ball-head, ball-hunting, ball-item, ball-juggling, ball-nut, ball-nuts, ball-paper, ball-park, ball-peen, ball-peen hammer, ball-pen, ball-player, ball-playing, ball-point, ball-retention, ball-scryer, ball-scuffing, ball-sense, ball-shape, ball-shaped, ball-sized, ball-tampering, ball-throwing, ball-tipped, ball-topped, ball-to-target, ball-type, ball-up, ball-valve, ball-valves, ball-vroom, ball-watched, ball-watching, ball-winner, ball-winners, ball-winning. | |
Ending with "ball": ball-by-ball, billiard-ball, cannon-ball, dead-ball, four-ball, golf-ball, long-ball, Major-ball, match-ball, new-ball, no-ball, off-the-ball, paint-ball, puff-ball, root-ball, stick-and-ball, three-ball, through-ball. | |
Containing "ball": cannon-ball-like, dead-ball line, girl-at-the-ball-coming-down-the-grand-staircase, golf-ball printer, soccer-ball-shaped, tennis-ball-sized, volley-ball court, volley-ball player. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day | Expression | Frequency per Day |
power ball | 20,364 | dragon ball z.com | 582 |
golf ball | 9,642 | missouri power ball | 538 |
ball | 2,804 | dragon ball af | 503 |
power ball lottery | 2,611 | dragon ball z online game | 500 |
dx ball | 2,562 | ball cap | 486 |
bowling ball | 2,507 | ball senior | 484 |
ball busting | 2,031 | bocce ball | 445 |
crystal ball | 1,670 | power ball winning numbers | 418 |
soccer ball | 1,653 | louisiana power ball | 412 |
power ball numbers | 1,331 | dragon ball z porn | 410 |
beach ball | 1,249 | ball gown | 407 |
exercise ball | 1,205 | swiss ball | 406 |
power ball result | 1,144 | kentucky power ball | 405 |
gazing ball | 997 | ball bearing | 387 |
lucille ball | 912 | ball pythons | 386 |
disco ball | 877 | used golf ball | 367 |
ball state university | 755 | squeeze ball | 355 |
ball gag | 682 | ball slime | 341 |
ball python | 606 | ball street | 339 |
monster ball | 592 | wiffle ball | 337 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Translations for "ball"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Afrikaans | bal (dance). (various references) | |
Albanian | ballo, bilë, bole (testicle), bëj lëmsh (mix up, muddle, welter), pjesë e fytyre, gjuajtje topi, gjyle (bomb shall, cannon ball, cannon shot, round shot, shot, weight, whizzbang), kokërrizohem, koqe (testicle), mbrëmje vallëzimi (dance, hop), zar (dibs, dice, sphere), plumb (bullet, lead, packet, pellet, plumbum, seal, shot, slug), qejf (amusement, bang, binge, delight, desire, high spirits, humor, humour, luxury, pleasure, temper, zest), rruzull (bowl, globe, nodule, orb, sphere), saçme (ball bearing, pellet, shot), sferë (area, domain, field, front, globe, globule, level, orb, range, realm, region, scope, sphere, world), shuk (knob, nub, nubble, wad), top (bolt, cannon, falconet, field gun, gun, knob, nub, nubble, nugget, piece, soundly), lëmsh (clew, clot, jam, jumbal, jumble, mass, mix, mix up, pell mell, pellet, puff, ruck, tangle, welter, winding). (various references) | |
Arabic | كور (conglomerate), كتل (agglomerate, conglomerate, lump, mass, masses), كرة (bowl, globe, orb), نزهة (excursion, outing, promenade, ramble, ride, run, stretch one's legs, trip), لعبة من ألعاب الكرة, حفلة راقصة (dance, dance party, dancing party, discotheque, prom, shindig), تكور (plumb out, roll, roll along), جسم مستدير من الإنسان, رصاصة (bullet, slug). (various references) | |
Asturian | bola. (various references) | |
Basque | pilota. (various references) | |
Bemba | bola. (various references) | |
Blackfoot | pokón. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | свивам се на топка, сачма (pellet, shot, slug), топчест (fleshy, knobby), топка (knob, leather, pill), кълбо (balloon, globe, orb, puff, sphere), гюлле (cannon ball, shot, weight), навивам на кълбо, бал (dance, wind force), игра на топка (lacrosse). (various references) | |
Cebuano | bola. (various references) | |
Chamorro | bola. (various references) | |
Chinese | 球 (sphere). (various references) | |
Cornish | pél. (various references) | |
Czech | bříško palce, balon, ples, míè, míč, koule (globe, orb, round, sphere), klubko (clue). (various references) | |
Danish | bold, bal (dance). (various references) | |
Dutch | bol (ball-bearing, bulb, dome, globe, sphere, vault, vaulted ceiling), bal (ball-bearing, chunk, clod, dance, globe, lump, palm, sole, testicle). (various references) | |
Ecuadorian Quechua | runpa. (various references) | |
Esperanto | balo (dance), tenaro (ball of the thumb), sfero (sphere), pilko, globo (ball-bearing, globe). (various references) | |
Faeroese | bóltur. (various references) | |
Farsi | مجلس رقص , گلوله کردن , گلوله (Blob, Bullet, Cartridge, Gunshot, Missile, Pellet, Shaft, Shot), گوی (Globe, Orb, Sphere), گرهک , توپ بازی , ایام خوش , رقص (Dance). (various references) | |
Finnish | tanssiaiset (dance), pallo (ball-bearing, bowl, globe, sphere), kerä (head). (various references) | |
French | pelote, bille (balk, baulk), bal, globe (ball-bearing), boule, ballon (balloon, soccer ball), balle (bale). (various references) | |
Frisian | bol (ball-bearing, globe), bal, sfear (sphere), dûnsjen (dance, dancing). (various references) | |
German | Ball (dance, let, orb, prom), kugel (ball-bearing, bowl, bullet, globe, marble, orb, pellet, scoop, shot, slug, sphere), knäuel (bundle of fluff, knot, muddle, wad). (various references) | |
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