Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Ball

Ball

(ba̤l)
,
Noun.
[OE.
bal
,
balle
; akin to OHG.
balla
,
palla
, G.
ball
, Icel.
böllr
, ball; cf. F.
balle
. Cf. 1st
Bale
,
Noun.
,
Pallmall
.]
1.
Any round or roundish body or mass; a sphere or globe;
as, a
ball
of twine; a
ball
of snow
.
2.
A spherical body of any substance or size used to play with, as by throwing, knocking, kicking, etc.
3.
A general name for games in which a ball is thrown, kicked, or knocked. See
Baseball
, and
Football
.
4.
Any solid spherical, cylindrical, or conical projectile of lead or iron, to be discharged from a firearm;
as, a cannon
ball
; a rifle
ball
; – often used collectively;
as, powder and
ball
. Spherical balls for the smaller firearms are commonly called
bullets
.
5.
(Pyrotechnics & Mil.)
A flaming, roundish body shot into the air; a case filled with combustibles intended to burst and give light or set fire, or to produce smoke or stench;
as, a fire
ball
; a stink
ball
.
6.
(Print.)
A leather-covered cushion, fastened to a handle called a ballstock; – formerly used by printers for inking the form, but now superseded by the roller.
7.
A roundish protuberant portion of some part of the body;
as, the
ball
of the thumb; the
ball
of the foot
.
8.
(Far.)
A large pill, a form in which medicine is commonly given to horses; a bolus.
White.
9.
The globe or earth.
Pope.
Move round the dark terrestrial
ball
.
Addison.
Ball and socket joint
,
a joint in which a ball moves within a socket, so as to admit of motion in every direction within certain limits.
Ball bearings
,
a mechanical device for lessening the friction of axle bearings by means of small loose metal balls.
Ball cartridge
,
a cartridge containing a ball, as distinguished from a blank cartridge, containing only powder.
Ball cock
,
a faucet or valve which is opened or closed by the fall or rise of a ball floating in water at the end of a lever.
Ball gudgeon
,
a pivot of a spherical form, which permits lateral deflection of the arbor or shaft, while retaining the pivot in its socket.
Knight.
Ball lever
,
the lever used in a ball cock.
Ball of the eye
,
the eye itself, as distinguished from its lids and socket; – formerly, the pupil of the eye.
Ball valve
(Mach.)
,
a contrivance by which a ball, placed in a circular cup with a hole in its bottom, operates as a valve.
Ball vein
(Mining)
,
a sort of iron ore, found in loose masses of a globular form, containing sparkling particles.
Three balls
, or
Three golden balls
,
a pawnbroker’s sign or shop.
on the ball
alert; competent and knowledgeable.
to carry the ball
to carry on the task; to assume the responsibility.
to drop the ball
to fail to perform as expected; to fail to live up to a responsibility.
Syn. – See
Globe
.

Ball

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Balled
(ba̤ld)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Balling
.]
To gather balls which cling to the feet, as of damp snow or clay; to gather into balls;
as, the horse
balls
; the snow
balls
.

Ball

,
Verb.
T.
1.
(Metal.)
To heat in a furnace and form into balls for rolling.
2.
To form or wind into a ball;
as, to
ball
cotton
.

Webster 1828 Edition


Ball

BALL

, n.[L. pila; A ball may signify a mass from collecting, or it may be that which is driven, from the root of L. pello; probably the former.]
1.
A round body; a spherical substance, whether natural or artificial; or a body nearly round; as, a ball for play; a ball of thread; a ball of snow.
2. A bullet; a ball of iron or lead for cannon, muskets, &c.
3. A printer's ball, consisting of hair or wool, covered with leather or skin, and fastened to a stock, called a ball-stock, and used to put ink on the types in the forms.
4.
The globe or earth, from its figure.
5.
A globe borne as an ensign of authority; as, to hold the ball of a kingdom.
6.
Any part of the body that is round or protuberant; as, the eye ball; the ball of the thumb or foot.
7.
The weight at the bottom of a pendulum.
8.
Among the Cornish miners in England, a tin mine.
9.
In pyrotechnics, a composition of combustible ingredients, which serve to burn, smoke or give light.
Ball-stock, among printers, a stock somewhat hollow at one end, to which balls of skin, stuffed with wool, are fastened, and which serves as a handle.
Ball-vein, among miners, a sort of iron ore, found in loose masses, of a circular form, containing sparkling particles.
Ball and socket, an instrument used in surveying and astronomy, made of brass, with a perpetual screw, to move horizontally, obliquely, or vertically.
Puff-ball, in botany, the Lycoperdon, a genus of fungeses.
Fire-ball, a meteor; a luminous globe darting through the atmosphere; also, a bag of canvas filled with gunpowder, sulphur, pitch, saltpeter, &c.,to be thrown by the hand, or from mortars, to set fire to houses.

BALL

, n.[Gr.to toss or throw; to leap.] An entertainment of dancing; originally and peculiarly, at the invitation and expense of an individual; but the word is used in America, for a dance at the expense of the attendants.
19

BALL

,
Verb.
I.
To form into a ball, as snow on horses' hoofs, or on the feet. We say the horse balls, or the snow balls.