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(bl), n.[OE. bal, balle; akin to OHG. balla, palla, G. ball, Icel. bllr, ball; cf. F. balle. Cf. 1st Bale, n., 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 us Ball v. i.[imp. & p. p.Balled (bld); 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 v. 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. Ball n.[F. bal, fr. OF. baler to dance, fr. LL. ballare. Of uncertain origin; cf. Gr. ba°llein to toss or throw, or pa°llein, pa°llesqai, to leap, bound, balli°zein to dance, jump about; or cf. 1st Ball, n.] A social assembly for the purpose of dancing. Ball n.(Baseball) A pitched ball, not struck at by the batsman, which fails to pass over the home base at a height not greater than the batsman's shoulder nor less than his knee. スポンサード リンク
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