A ball is a round thing that people use to play many sports. It can be hit, kicked, or thrown. Balls come in different sizes and materials.
She threw the ball to her friend.
The ball rolled down the hill.
A ball is a big, special party where people dance. It is often formal and can happen for celebrations.
They went to a ball last night.
The princess attended the royal ball.
To ball something means to make it round by pressing or rolling it with hands or fingers. People do this with paper, cloth, or food.
She balled the paper in her hand.
He balled the cloth into a tight ball.
Sometimes, ball means being brave or having courage. People use this in informal speech to say someone is bold.
He had the ball to ask for help.
It takes ball to speak in public.
The ball of the foot is the soft, rounded part on the bottom of the foot near the toes. It helps with balance and walking.
He felt pain in the ball of his foot.
The shoes hurt the ball of her foot.
A ball can also be a messy, tight mass of something like hair or wool. It means the material is tangled or curled closely.
A ball of wool was on the floor.
His hair had a ball of tangled strands.
In sports like cricket, a ball means one pitch or throw the player bowls to the batsman. It is a way to count turns.
The bowler threw six balls in an over.
He missed the ball during his ball count.