Idioms for ball
Origin of ball
1
1175–1225; Middle English
bal, balle < Old French < Germanic
*ballaz; compare Old Norse
bǫllr, Old High German
bal, ballo, balla, German
Ball, Dutch
bal; perhaps akin to Latin
follis leather bag; see
ballock(s)
OTHER WORDS FROM ball
ball·er, nounWords nearby ball
balkh,
balkhash,
balkis,
balkline,
balky,
ball,
ball ammunition,
ball and chain,
ball and ring,
ball bearing,
ball boy
Definition for balls (2 of 2)
ball
2
[ bawl ]
/ bɔl /
noun
a large, usually lavish, formal party featuring social dancing and sometimes given for a particular purpose, as to introduce debutantes or benefit a charitable organization.
Informal.
a thoroughly good time: Have a ball on your vacation!
Origin of ball
2
1625–35; < French
bal, noun derivative of
baler (now
baller) to dance < Late Latin
ballāre < Greek (Magna Graecia)
ballízein to dance
Example sentences from the Web for balls
British Dictionary definitions for balls (1 of 4)
balls
/ (bɔːlz) slang /
pl n
the testicles
by the balls
so as to be rendered powerless
nonsense; rubbish
courage; forcefulness
interjection
an exclamation of strong disagreement, contempt, annoyance, etc
usage for balls
Both its anatomical senses and its various extended senses nowadays have far less impact than they used to, and seem unlikely to cause offence, though some older or more conservative people may object. Interestingly, its use in the sense of courage is exactly paralleled in the Spanish term «cojones»
British Dictionary definitions for balls (2 of 4)
Ball
/ (bɔːl) /
noun
John . died 1381, English priest: executed as one of the leaders of the Peasants' Revolt (1381)
British Dictionary definitions for balls (3 of 4)
ball
1
/ (bɔːl) /
noun
verb
Word Origin for ball
C13: from Old Norse
böllr; related to Old High German
balla, Italian
palla French
balle
usage for ball
Sense 9 of this word was formerly considered to be taboo, and it was labelled as such in previous editions of
Collins English Dictionary . However, it has now become acceptable in speech, although some older or more conservative people may object to its use
British Dictionary definitions for balls (4 of 4)
ball
2
/ (bɔːl) /
noun
a social function for dancing, esp one that is lavish or formal
informal
a very enjoyable time (esp in the phrase have a ball)
Word Origin for ball
C17: from French
bal (n), from Old French
baller (vb), from Late Latin
ballāre to dance, from Greek
ballizein
Medical definitions for balls
ball
[ bôl ]
n.
A spherical object or mass.
A bezoar.
A large pill or bolus.
Idioms and Phrases with balls
ball