Definition of "ball" []

• A spherical object or entity: a steel ball. (noun)
• A spherical or almost spherical body: a ball of flame. (noun)
• Sports Any of various rounded, movable objects used in various athletic activities and games. (noun)
• Sports Such an object moving, thrown, hit, or kicked in a particular manner: a low ball; a fair ball. (noun)
• Sports A game, especially baseball or basketball, played with such an object. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "A young lady, whilst congratulating him on his elevation, and requesting him to give a ball during the vacation, happened to touch his wig with her fan, and caused the powder to fly about; upon which the doctor exclaimed, "My dear, you see you can get the powder out of the _cannon_, but not the _ball_.""
• "To celebrate his recovery, his lordship determined to give a ball; and Miss Bateman persuaded him to make it a _fancy ball_."
• "Using his line drive%, ground ball% and fly ball% to normalize things a bit, his batted-ball type should translate to about a .352 BABIP."