ball

1. n. Any round or roundish body or mass; a sphere or globe; as, a ball of twine; a ball of snow. Source: opted

2. n. A spherical body of any substance or size used to play with, as by throwing, knocking, kicking, etc. Source: opted

3. n. A general name for games in which a ball is thrown, kicked, or knocked. See Baseball, and Football. Source: opted

4. n. 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. Source: opted

5. n. 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. Source: opted

6. n. A leather-covered cushion, fastened to a handle called a ballstock; -- formerly used by printers for inking the form, but now superseded by the roller. Source: opted

7. n. A roundish protuberant portion of some part of the body; as, the ball of the thumb; the ball of the foot. Source: opted

8. n. A large pill, a form in which medicine is commonly given to horses; a bolus. Source: opted

9. n. The globe or earth. Source: opted

10. v. i. 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. Source: opted

11. v. t. To heat in a furnace and form into balls for rolling. Source: opted

12. v. t. To form or wind into a ball; as, to ball cotton. Source: opted

13. n. A social assembly for the purpose of dancing. Source: opted

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