| ball and chain |
a heavy ball attached by a chain to a prisoner's ankle to prevent escape. |
| ball-and-socket joint |
a skeletal joint in which the ball-shaped end of a bone, often part of a limb, fits into and rotates quite freely within the hollow, spherical socket of another bone. [2 definitions] |
| ballast |
heavy material placed in the hold of a boat or ship to make it more stable. [4 definitions] |
| ball bearing |
a bearing composed of a track containing freely rolling metal balls, against which or within which a shaft or other part can rotate without friction. [2 definitions] |
| ball boy |
a boy or young man who retrieves stray balls during a tennis or baseball game, or who has charge of balls used in practice, as in football and basketball. |
| ball cock |
a device used to regulate the supply of water in a tank or toilet, consisting of a lever connected to a floating ball that shuts a valve when raised and opens it when lowered. |
| ballerina |
a woman who is a principal dancer in a ballet troupe. [2 definitions] |
| ballet |
a form of dance characterized by precise, stylized motion and intricate choreography. [4 definitions] |
| balletomane |
one who greatly admires ballet. |
| ballgame |
a game played with a ball on a field. |
| ball girl |
a girl or young woman who retrieves stray balls during a tennis or baseball game, or who has charge of balls used in practice, as in field hockey or volleyball. |
| ball handler |
a player, esp. in basketball, whose position requires him or her to touch and control the ball, or one who handles the ball on a particular play. [2 definitions] |
| ball handling |
the act or skill of dribbling, passing, or receiving the ball in basketball. [2 definitions] |
| ballista |
an ancient military machine resembling a large crossbow, used to hurl stones and other heavy projectiles. |
| ballistic |
of or pertaining to ballistics. |
| ballistic missile |
a long-range missile that reaches its target by falling freely at extremely high speed along a precalculated trajectory. |
| ballistics |
(used with a sing. verb) the scientific study of the motion and properties of missiles such as bullets and rockets. [3 definitions] |
| ball joint |
a mechanical joint, often found in tools and machines, in which the ball-shaped end of a rod or pipe is fitted into a hollow socket, enabling the inserted part to rotate freely in any direction. |
| ball lightning |
a rare form of lightning manifested in the form of a glowing reddish ball, approximately six inches to a foot in diameter, that moves rapidly along the ground or in the air until it disintegrates. |
| ballocks |
(vulgar) the testicles. |
| balloon |
a large bag made of thin material designed to inflate and be lifted off the ground when filled with hot air or a gas that is lighter than air. [8 definitions] |