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Comprehensive
Dictionary Suite
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balladry ballads in general, or collectively. [2 definitions]
ballad stanza a four-line stanza often used in ballads, the second and fourth lines of which rhyme.
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.