ball up

ball ¹

 (bôl)

n.

1.

a. A spherical object or entity: a steel ball.

b. A spherical or almost spherical body: a ball of flame.

2. Sports

a. Any of various movable and round or oblong objects used in various athletic activities and games.

b. Such an object moving, thrown, hit, or kicked in a particular manner: a low ball; a fair ball.

c. A game, especially baseball or basketball, played with such an object.

d. A pitched baseball that does not pass through the strike zone and is not swung at by the batter.

3.

a. A solid spherical or pointed projectile, such as one shot from a cannon.

b. Projectiles of this kind considered as a group.

4. A rounded part or protuberance, especially of the body: the ball of the foot.

5. Vulgar Slang

a. A testicle.

b. balls Courage, especially when reckless.

c. balls Great presumptuousness.

v. balled, ball·ing, balls

v.tr.

1. To form into a ball.

2. Vulgar Slang To have sexual intercourse with.

v.intr.

1. To become formed into a ball.

2. Vulgar Slang To have sexual intercourse.

Phrasal Verb:

ball up

To confuse; bungle.

Idioms:

have(someone) by the balls Vulgar Slang

To have control over someone; have someone at one's mercy.

on the ball Informal

1. Alert, competent, or efficient: a teacher who is really on the ball.

2. Relating to qualities, such as competence, skill, or knowledge, that are necessary for success: a manager who has a lot on the ball; a student who has nothing on the ball.

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[Middle English bal, probably from Old English *beall; see bhel- in Indo-European roots.]

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ball ²

 (bôl)

n.

1. A formal gathering for social dancing.

2. Informal An extremely enjoyable time or experience: We had a ball during our vacation.

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[French bal, from Old French, from baller, to dance, from Late Latin ballāre, from Greek ballizein; see g^welə- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Verb

1.

ball up - make a mess of, destroy or ruin; "I botched the dinner and we had to eat out"; "the pianist screwed up the difficult passage in the second movement" bobble, bodge, bollix, bollix up, bollocks, bollocks up, botch, botch up, bumble, bungle, flub, fluff, foul up, fuck up, louse up, mess up, mishandle, muck up, spoil, muff, screw up, fumble, blow go wrong, miscarry, fail - be unsuccessful; "Where do today's public schools fail?"; "The attempt to rescue the hostages failed miserably"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

ball up

verb

1. To harm irreparably through inept handling; make a mess:

blunder, boggle, botch, bungle, foul up, fumble, gum up, mess up, mishandle, mismanage, muddle, muff, spoil.

Informal: bollix up, muck up.

Slang: blow, goof up, louse up, screw up, snafu.

Idiom: make a muck of.

2. To put into total disorder:

confuse, disorder, jumble, mess up, muddle, scramble, snarl.

Slang: snafu.

Idiom: play havoc with.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

apelotonar

abbatuffolareingarbugliarepasticciare