Ball Definition: Explanation, Short Test, and Fun Facts

Pronunciation tips are good, but they’re not enough on their own. So now, let’s look at the sentences with the word “ball.”

While there is a lack of contextual “ball” synonyms, this word is a part of many nouns and collocations, used on an everyday basis. Here are only a tiny part of them:

Related nouns: globe sphere birdie puck

Synonyms (contextual): none, it’s a specific noun

Common collocations: tennis ball ball match game ball

The word “ball” combines with different parts of speech to form words and phrases utilized worldwide. Let’s take a quick look at some common examples to define “ball” even better.

With adjectives: small ball bouncy ball loose ball

With verbs: kick a ball pass a ball miss a ball

With nouns (noun + noun): handball volleyball basketball

We have also surfed the net and found top-3 idioms with the word “ball,” to make you sound like a native speaker.

• Catch no ball — to not understand what was said.

  Could you please explain this to me once again? I catch no ball.

• A ball of fire — an ambitious and enthusiastic person.

  Karen is a real ball of fire. That’s why she’s the team lead of this department.

• To keep eye on the ball — to remain very focused on something; used both in games and everyday life.

  The main objectives were achieved as John kept his eye on the ball.

“Learning by doing” is the best way to memorize something new. So here’s a short test prepared by our experts to check how well you’ve learned the description of “ball,” its synonyms, and examples of use.

Planning your next trip across Europe? Here’s how to say “ball” in the top-3 world’s most spoken languages so you won’t get confused in unexpected situations.

And if you’ve thought that you are already familiar with the ball’s description, here are four facts that will open this word from a new angle.

• The earliest balls in Eurasia were 3000 years old.

  In northwest China, archaeologists found three leather balls, dated between 1189 and 911 BCE. Still, these balls, fabricated of leather pouches filled with hair, are not the oldest — there are even more ancient known balls, found in Egypt and dated back to 4,500 years ago.

• A baseball has an average lifetime of 7 pitches.

  How many years do you think your baseball will last? One or two? Well, next time you’ll go out and play a couple of games with your friends, be more gentle with it. The professional baseball players have summarized that the average life of a baseball is only seven pitches.

• Thanks to David Attenborough, tennis balls were no longer white.

  David Attenborough, one of BBC2’s most famous presenters, helped revolutionize the tennis industry in the 1970s by introducing yellow tennis balls instead of white ones. The reason was simple — they were easier to see on television for viewers at home.

• The mystery behind the Adidas ball for the World Cup.

  The Jabulani, a ball designed by Adidas for the 2010 World Cup, attracted global interest. With only eight panels and a rough surface, it acts unpredictably, causing sudden swerves and dips. This is why the ball was widely criticized by most players and goalkeepers.

Ever wondered how the word “ball” pops up in culture? From songs and movies to life lessons, these quotes show the versatility.