often attributive
1
: a round or roundish body or mass: such as
a
: a spherical or ovoid body used in a game or sport
a tennis ball
—used figuratively in phrases like the ball is in your court to indicate who has the responsibility or opportunity for further action
c
: a spherical or conical projectile
also
: projectiles used in firearms
d
: a roundish protuberant anatomical structure (as near the tip of a human finger or toe or at the base of a thumb)
especially
: the part of the sole of the human foot between the toes and arch on which the main weight of the body rests in normal walking
2
a
usually impolite
: testis
b
balls plural
(1)
often impolite
: nonsense
—often used interjectionally
(2)
often impolite
: nerve sense 3
3
: a game in which a ball is thrown, kicked, or struck
also
: quality of play in such a game
4
a
: a pitch not swung at by the batter that fails to pass through the strike zone
b
: a hit or thrown ball in various games
foul ball
see also on the ball
balled; balling
1
: to form or gather into a ball
balled the paper into a wad
2
usually vulgar
: to have sexual intercourse with
1
: to form or gather into a ball
2
usually vulgar
: to engage in sexual intercourse
3
US, informal
: to play basketball
Common shot all his own scenes on the hardwood, balling against NBA superstars Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard.—
Chris Richards
Chris Richards1
: a large formal gathering for social dancing
2
: a very pleasant experience : a good time
everyone had a ball at the wedding
Examples of ball in a Sentence
Noun (1)
the little rubber ball used in racquetball
a ball of string
found a cache of musket balls while excavating the old fort
Verb
I stood up quickly and balled my hands into fists.
He balled the letter in his hands and threw it in the trash.
Noun (2)
a ball to celebrate the inauguration
Recent Examples on the Web
Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
There are several elements in Bridgerton season 4 that resemble the story line of Cinderella, from enchanting balls to gloves and slippers — and even an evil stepmother.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
Kon Knueppel has balled out far beyond rookie expectation, averaging nearly 19 points per game and close to 50/40/90 shooting splits and coming off a career-high 34-point performance.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ball
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
As soon as the referee called Wildcats ball, Karaban started twirling his finger, begging his bench for a review.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
There are several elements in Bridgerton season 4 that resemble the story line of Cinderella, from enchanting balls to gloves and slippers — and even an evil stepmother.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
Verb
These are the romance movies that lean into big emotions, meaningful connections, and the kind of love that lingers long after the credits roll — and will likely leave you balling your eyes out.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
Kon Knueppel has balled out far beyond rookie expectation, averaging nearly 19 points per game and close to 50/40/90 shooting splits and coming off a career-high 34-point performance.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ball
Cite this Entry
“Ball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ball. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ball
1 of 3 noun1
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
Noun
Middle English bal "ball"
Noun
from French bal "a dance," derived from Latin ballare "to dance" — related to ballet
Medical Definition
ball
1 of 2 noun
: 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)
Biographical Definition
Ball
2 of 2biographical name (2)
Lucille (Désirée) 1911–1989 American actress and comedienne
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
