ball
ball — verb
1. to squeeze, roll, or gather a soft material so that it takes on a rounded, close
to squeeze, roll, or gather a soft material so that it takes on a rounded, closed shape, such as crumpling paper or kneading dough.
Kenji balled the dough between his palms before placing it on the tray.
transitive: ball + soft material
Mei angrily balled the letter up and threw it into the bin.
ball something up (phrasal pattern)
The hedgehog balled up tightly when the dog came near.
Nervous, Farouk balled her hands into fists under the desk.
The chef balled small portions of melon for the fruit platter.
文法句型
ball something up
ball up into something
用法筆記
Object is usually a soft, shapeable material (paper, dough, cloth, hands) or a body part that can curl. Frequently appears with the particle 'up' to stress completion of the round shape.
常見錯誤
2. a vulgar slang verb, said mostly of a male subject, for having sex with a partne
a vulgar slang verb, said mostly of a male subject, for having sex with a partner.
The lyrics are crude, bragging about who the singer balled the night before.
vulgar slang; avoid in polite or formal speech
After three drinks, Frank leaned over and whispered that he had balled Sandra in the back of the truck.
transitive vulgar slang: ball + person
Editors at the magazine cut the passage where the narrator boasts about balling a co-worker.
In the diner scene, the trucker bragged that he had balled half the waitresses in town.
- screw
also vulgar slang; more current than 'ball'
- sleep with
the standard, neutral phrase
- bed
literary or dated; less crude than 'ball'
文法句型
ball someone
用法筆記
Vulgar US slang, mostly mid-20th-century. Subject is typically male in older usage. Learners should recognise it for reading older fiction or song lyrics, but not produce it — it offends in almost every modern setting.
常見錯誤
ball — noun
1. a round item, often made of rubber, leather, or plastic, that you throw, kick, h
a round item, often made of rubber, leather, or plastic, that you throw, kick, hit, or catch as part of a sport, or that children use as a toy.
Mei kicked the ball straight into the goal during the school match.
verb + the ball: kick / throw / catch
The puppy ran across the garden chasing a small red ball.
Kenji threw the ball over the net, and his sister hit it back hard.
A tennis ball rolled out from under the bench and stopped near my feet.
The children sat on the floor and rolled the ball back and forth.
文法句型
throw/kick/catch + a ball
用法筆記
Often appears in compounds naming the sport: tennis ball, football, beach ball, golf ball. Verbs that pair with it describe how it moves: kick, throw, catch, hit, bounce, roll.
常見錯誤
2. a round bundle made by winding string, wool, or yarn around itself many times so
a round bundle made by winding string, wool, or yarn around itself many times so it can be stored neatly or used in knitting.
Grandma kept three balls of red wool inside her wooden sewing basket.
pattern: a ball of wool / yarn / string
The kitten batted a ball of yarn across the kitchen floor.
Sofia needs two more balls of cotton thread to finish the blue scarf.
Mei cut a long piece of string and rolled it into a tight ball.
文法句型
a ball of + uncountable noun
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the pattern 'a ball of + [thread / wool / yarn / string]'. The substance is uncountable, so 'ball' supplies the unit for counting.
常見錯誤
3. the firm, slightly raised cushion just below your big toe; also a similar cushio
the firm, slightly raised cushion just below your big toe; also a similar cushion at the root of your thumb on the palm side. On the foot, this is the part that hits the ground first as you walk.
Dancers learn to balance on the ball of one foot for several seconds.
fixed phrase: the ball of your foot
Esme felt a sharp pain in the ball of her right foot after the long hike.
The runner pushes off from the ball of the foot, not the heel.
Press gently on the ball of your thumb to feel the soft muscle there.
- pad
broader; can refer to any soft area of skin on the hand or foot
- heel
the back part of the foot rather than the front pad
文法句型
the ball of + your foot / thumb
用法筆記
Almost always used with the definite article and a body-part possessive: 'the ball of your foot', 'the ball of his thumb'. Distinguish from sense 1 (a sport object) — body-part contexts make this sense unambiguous.
常見錯誤
4. a round, often shiny or coloured object that people hang from the branches of a
a round, often shiny or coloured object that people hang from the branches of a Christmas tree as a decoration during the holiday season.
Kofi hung a silver ball on the highest branch of the Christmas tree.
verb collocation: hang a ball on the tree
The children helped Mum unpack the box of glass balls and tinsel.
One red ball slipped from the branch and shattered on the wooden floor.
Each year the family adds one new ball to the tree for memory.
文法句型
hang + a ball + on the tree
用法筆記
In American English, the more common term is 'ornament' or 'Christmas ornament'; British English speakers also use 'bauble'. Use this sense only in a clearly festive context to avoid confusion with sense 1.
5. in football (soccer), a single kick or delivery that moves the ball between team
in football (soccer), a single kick or delivery that moves the ball between teammates, often praised for skill or accuracy.
Kane sent a beautiful ball into the box, and Saka headed it home.
collocation: a beautiful / long / through ball
The midfielder played a long ball over the defence to the striker.
That was a clever ball from Rodri, splitting two defenders cleanly.
Brazil scored after a quick ball down the right wing.
文法句型
play / send / pass + a ball + to someone
用法筆記
Used by football commentators and fans in countable form ('a long ball', 'a clever ball'), unlike sense 1 where 'the ball' refers to the physical object. Adjectives such as 'long', 'through', 'clever', 'beautiful' often precede it.
常見錯誤
6. in cricket, one single throw aimed by the player on the throwing team toward the
in cricket, one single throw aimed by the player on the throwing team toward the batter at the other end of the playing strip; six such throws in a row form a set called an over.
Anderson bowled a fast ball that swung sharply past the batter's bat.
collocation: bowl + a fast / slow / wide ball
The first ball of the over hit the stumps and won the match for England.
Kohli scored four runs off the very next ball.
Priya bowled a tricky slow ball, and the batter mistimed her shot.
文法句型
bowl + a ball + at someone
用法筆記
Common in cricket commentary. Often counted within an over: 'the third ball of the over', 'the next ball'. Distinguish from sense 5 (football pass) by sport context.
7. in baseball, a pitch that the batter chooses to leave alone because it falls out
in baseball, a pitch that the batter chooses to leave alone because it falls outside the marked area where they are expected to swing.
The umpire called the pitch a ball because it dropped below Mei's knees.
umpire calls the pitch a ball
After three balls, the pitcher looked nervous and wiped sweat from his face.
counting balls in a count
Kenji watched the curve sail wide and knew it was a ball straight away.
With four balls in a row, the batter walked calmly to first base.
- strike
a pitch inside the strike zone or swung at and missed
用法筆記
Only used in the count system of baseball; contrasts with 'strike'. Often appears with numbers (one ball, two balls, four balls) to track the at-bat.
常見錯誤
8. a sport or match in which players throw, catch, kick, or hit a round object as t
a sport or match in which players throw, catch, kick, or hit a round object as the main activity.
The children begged their grandfather to play ball with them in the back garden.
play ball as a general ball sport
Mei and her cousins played ball every weekend until the autumn rain started.
play ball with companions
The school organises ball games on Friday afternoons to keep the students active.
Kenji is brilliant at any kind of ball, from tennis to basketball.
- ball game
more explicit; usually a specific match
用法筆記
Often appears as 'play ball' in American English to mean playing baseball or any informal ball sport. The compound 'ball game' refers to the sport itself.
9. a grand social event at which guests wear elegant evening clothes and spend the
a grand social event at which guests wear elegant evening clothes and spend the night dancing together.
Kenji wore his grandmother's silver dress to the ball at the town hall.
attending a ball in formal dress
The university holds a summer ball every June in the old college gardens.
hold a ball as an annual event
Kofi invited Esme to the charity ball at the museum next Saturday.
The young prince danced with three different partners at the royal ball.
用法筆記
Often modified by an adjective marking the occasion or hosts: 'summer ball', 'charity ball', 'royal ball', 'masked ball'. Implies formal dress and live music.
常見錯誤
10. an informal word for either round organ in a man's scrotum that makes sperm; alm
an informal word for either round organ in a man's scrotum that makes sperm; almost always used in the plural.
Mei took the football straight in the balls and collapsed on the pitch.
plural form for testicles after impact
The vet checked the puppy's balls before signing the health form.
plural form in a veterinary context
Kofi clutched his balls in pain after the cricket ball hit him.
The doctor warned Tom to check his balls each month for any unusual lumps.
用法筆記
Informal and considered vulgar in many polite contexts; in writing or with strangers, prefer 'testicles'. Almost always plural in this sense.