English Dictionary

Definition of “balls”

Browse the English Dictionary (A-Z)
Your search found:

Word Frequency

Word Frequency of balls

balls (bɔːlz Pronunciation for balls )  (slang)

Definitions

plural noun

  1. the testicles

  2. See by the balls

  3. nonsense; rubbish
  4. courage; forcefulness

exclamation

  1. an exclamation of strong disagreement, contempt, annoyance, etc
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»

Synonyms

View thesaurus entry
= bravery, face, spirit, bottle, resolution, nerve, daring, courage, guts, pluck, grit, backbone, fortitude, toughness, mettle, boldness, firmness, valour, spunk, fearlessness, intrepidity, cojones, hardihood, ballsiness, dauntlessness, lion-heartedness
= nonsense, stuff, bull, malarkey, rubbish, shit, pants, rot, crap, garbage, folly, trash, bunk, bullshit, hot air, tosh, absurdity, waffle, bollocks, pap, cobblers, bilge, drivel, twaddle, tripe, gibberish, guff, bombast, moonshine, claptrap, hogwash, bizzo, bull's wool, hokum, codswallop, piffle, poppycock, balderdash, bosh, senselessness, eyewash, kak, ludicrousness, fatuity, tommyrot, horsefeathers, bunkum or buncombe
= testicles, bollocks or ballocks, testes, rocks, nuts, cobblers, gonads, goolies, family jewels, cojones, nads

ball1 (bɔːl Pronunciation for ball1 ) 

Definitions

noun

  1. a spherical or nearly spherical body or mass ⇒ a ball of wool
  2. a round or roundish body, either solid or hollow, of a size and composition suitable for any of various games: football, golf, billiards, etc
  3. a ball propelled in a particular way in a sport ⇒ a high ball
  4. any of various rudimentary games with a ball ⇒ to play ball
  5. (cricket) a single delivery of the ball by the bowler to the batsman
  6. (baseball) a single delivery of the ball by a pitcher outside certain limits and not swung at by the batter
    1. a solid nonexplosive projectile for a firearm Compare shell (sense 6)
    2. such projectiles collectively
  8. any more or less rounded part or protuberance ⇒ the ball of the foot
  9. (slang) a testicle See balls
  10. (veterinary science) another word for bolus
  11. (horticulture) the hard mass of roots and earth removed with the rest of the plant during transplanting

  12. See ball of muscle

  13. See have the ball at one's feet

  14. See keep the ball rolling

  15. See on the ball

  16. See play ball

  17. See set the ball rolling

  18. See the ball is in your court

verb

  1. tr to make, form, wind, etc, into a ball or balls ⇒ to ball wool
  2. intr to gather into a ball or balls
  3. (taboo, slang (mainly US) to copulate (with)
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

Word Origin

C13: from Old Norse böllr; related to Old High German balla, Italian palla French balle

ball2 (bɔːl Pronunciation for ball2 ) 

Definitions

noun

  1. a social function for dancing, esp one that is lavish or formal
  2. (informal) a very enjoyable time (esp in the phrase have a ball)

Word Origin

C17: from French bal (n), from Old French baller (vb), from Late Latin ballāre to dance, from Greek ballizein

Synonyms

View thesaurus entry
= dance, social, hop, disco, knees-up, discotheque, dancing party, B and S

Example Sentences Including 'balls'

A few weeks ago Matthew Griffiths was picking up balls on a driving range for £130 a week.
Glasgow Herald (2001)
Hands went down my pants, rummaged my balls , the crack of my arse.
Robert Wilson A DARKENING STAIN (2002)
He wasn't fighting too hard and he was losing a lot of balls.
Robert Wilson A DARKENING STAIN (2002)
His current boss, should he learn of this monumental fuck-up, would likely have Paine's balls for breakfast.
Terman, Douglas Cormorant
Isabelle began to keep Marie close to her, teaching her to spin, having her roll up balls of thread, knitting little dresses for her doll.
Tracy Chevalier THE VIRGIN BLUE (2002)
Normally I take the balls I've shagged downstairs to a huge garbage bag to add to the collection.
Globe and Mail (2003)
The wild ones could throw billiard balls at one another in the basement.
Globe and Mail (2003)
Then initiate sex consider the ball (or, in your case, balls ) in your court.
Maxim (2004)
Tiger Woods was part of a star-studded group which put no fewer than eight balls in a lake on one hole yesterday.
Glasgow Herald (2001)

Comments

Log in to comment on this word.

Spread the Word

Latest New Word Submissions

View More

Suggest a new word to add to the dictionary

Latest Published Words and Updates

Related Terms

43 results

View more related terms

Browse nearby words

All English words that begin with 'B'