Definition of "ball" in Anglais

noun

1. A solid or hollow sphere, or roughly spherical mass.

   • a ball of spittle; a fecal ball

2. (mathematics) Homologue or analogue of a disk in the Euclidean plane.

3. (ballistics, firearms) A solid, spherical nonexplosive missile for a cannon, rifle, gun, etc.

4. A roundish, protuberant portion of some part of the body.

   • the ball of the thumb

5. The globe; the earthly sphere.

   • c. 1712', Joseph Addison, Ode to the Creator of the World What, though in solemn Silence, all / Move round the dark terrestrial Ball!

6. (sports, countable) An object that is the focus of many sports and games, in which it may be thrown, caught, kicked, bounced, rolled, chased, retrieved, hit with an instrument, spun, etc., usually roughly spherical or ovoid but whose size, weight, bounciness, colour, etc. differ according to the game

7. (mildly vulgar, slang, usually in the plural) A testicle.

8. (printing, historical) A leather-covered cushion, fastened to a handle called a ballstock; formerly used by printers for inking the form, then superseded by the roller.

9. (farriery, historical) A large pill, a form in which medicine was given to horses; a bolus.

10. (slang, countable, uncountable, singular only) One thousand US dollars.

verb

1. (transitive) To form or wind into a ball.

   • to ball cotton

2. (metalworking) To heat in a furnace and form into balls for rolling.

3. (transitive, intransitive, US, vulgar) To have sexual intercourse (with).

4. (ambitransitive) To gather balls which cling to the feet or skis, as of damp snow or clay; to gather into balls.

   • the horse balls
   • the snow balls

5. (slang, usually in present participle) To be hip or cool.

6. (university slang) To reject from a fraternity or sorority. (Ellipsis of blackball).

7. (slang) To play basketball.

   • fuck it, we ball

8. (African-American Vernacular) To spend money extravagantly.

9. (transitive) To punish by affixing a ball and chain.

10. (transitive) Of bees: to kill (a wasp) by surrounding it in large numbers so as to raise its body heat.

11. (intransitive) To operate (a vehicle) at high speed (whether balls-out, balls to the wall, or ballin' the jack, each of which comes ultimately from ball via a different route).