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play ball

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ball

1  [bawl]
Use play ball in a Sentence
–noun
1. a spherical or approximately spherical body or shape; sphere: He rolled the piece of paper into a ball.
2. a round or roundish body, of various sizes and materials, either hollow or solid, for use in games, as baseball, football, tennis, or golf.
3. a game played with a ball, esp. baseball: The boys are out playing ball.
4. Baseball. a pitched ball, not swung at by the batter, that does not pass over home plate between the batter's shoulders and knees.
5. Military.
a. a solid, usually spherical projectile for a cannon, rifle, pistol, etc., as distinguished from a shell.
b. projectiles, esp. bullets, collectively.
6. any part of a thing, esp. of the human body, that is rounded or protuberant: the ball of the thumb.
7. a round mass of food, as of chopped meat, dough, or candy.
8. Slang: Vulgar. a testis.
9. balls, Slang: Vulgar.
a. boldness; courage; brashness.
b. nonsense (often used as an interjection).
10. bolus (def. 1).
11. Horticulture. a compact mass of soil covering the roots of an uprooted tree or other plant.
12. Literary. a planetary or celestial body, esp. the earth.
13. Mathematics. (in a metric space) the set of points whose distance from the zero element is less than, or less than or equal to, a specified number.
–verb (used with object)
14. to make into a ball (sometimes fol. by up): The children were balling up snow to make a snowman.
15. to wind into balls: to ball cotton.
16. Slang: Vulgar. to have sexual intercourse with.
–verb (used without object)
17. to form or gather into a ball: When the spun sugar balls, the candy has cooked sufficiently.
18. Slang: Vulgar. to have sexual intercourse.
—Verb phrase
19. ball up, Slang. to make or become utterly confused; muddle: The records had been all balled up by inefficient file clerks.
—Idioms
20. ball the jack, Slang.
a. to act with speed.
b. to stake everything on one attempt.
21. carry the ball, to assume the responsibility; bear the burden: You can always count on him to carry the ball in an emergency.
22. drop the ball, to make a mistake or miss an opportunity at a critical moment.
23. keep the ball rolling, to continue or give renewed vigor to an activity already under way: When their interest lagged, he tried to keep the ball rolling.
24. on the ball,
a. alert and efficient or effective: If you don't get on the ball, you'll be fired.
b. indicating intelligence or ability: The tests show your students don't have much on the ball. The new manager has a lot on the ball.
25. play ball,
a. to begin or continue playing a game.
b. to start or continue any action.
c. to work together; cooperate: union leaders suspected of playing ball with racketeers.
26. run with the ball, to assume responsibility or work enthusiastically: If management approves the concept, we'll run with the ball.
27. start the ball rolling, to put into operation; begin: The recreation director started the ball rolling by having all the participants introduce themselves.
Origin:
1175–1225; ME bal, balle < OF < Gmc *ballaz; cf. ON bǫllr, OHG bal, ballo, balla, G Ball, D bal; perh. akin to L follis leather bag; see ballock

Related forms:
baller, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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play   (plā)   
v.   played, play·ing, plays

v.   intr.

  1. To occupy oneself in amusement, sport, or other recreation: children playing with toys.

    1. To take part in a game: No minors are eligible to play.

    2. To participate in betting; gamble.

    3. To perform on an instrument: play on an accordion.

    4. To emit sound or be sounded in performance: The band is playing.

  3. To act in jest or sport: They're not arguing in earnest, they're just playing.

  4. To deal or behave carelessly or indifferently; toy. See Synonyms at flirt.

  5. To behave or converse sportively or playfully.

  6. To act or conduct oneself in a specified way: play fair; an investor who plays cautiously.

  7. To act, especially in a dramatic production.

  8. Music

    1. To perform on an instrument: play on an accordion.

    2. To emit sound or be sounded in performance: The band is playing.

  9. To be performed, as in a theater or on television: A good movie is playing tonight.

  10. To be received or accepted: a speech that played poorly with the voters.

  11. To move or seem to move quickly, lightly, or irregularly: The breeze played on the water.

  12. To function or discharge uninterruptedly: The fountains played in the courtyard.

  13. To move or operate freely within a bounded space, as machine parts do.

v.   tr.

    1. To perform or act (a role or part) in a dramatic performance.

    2. To assume the role of; act as: played the peacemaker at the meeting.

    3. To engage in (a game or sport): play hockey; play chess.

    4. To compete against in a game or sport.

    5. To occupy or work at (a position) in a game: Lou Gehrig played first base.

    6. To employ (a player) in a game or position: Let's play her at first base.

    7. To use or move (a card or piece) in a game: play the ace of clubs

    8. To hit (a ball, shot, or stroke), as in tennis: played a strong backhand.

    9. To attempt to keep or gain possession or control of: No foul was called because he was playing the ball.

    10. To bet; wager: played ten dollars on the horse.

    11. To make bets on: play the races.

    12. To perform on (an instrument): play the guitar.

    13. To perform (a piece) on instruments or an instrument.

  2. To perform (a theatrical work) on or as if on the stage.

  3. To present a theatrical performance in (a given place): The company played Detroit last week.

  4. To pretend to be; mimic the activities of: played cowboy; played the star.

    1. To engage in (a game or sport): play hockey; play chess.

    2. To compete against in a game or sport.

    3. To occupy or work at (a position) in a game: Lou Gehrig played first base.

    4. To employ (a player) in a game or position: Let's play her at first base.

    5. To use or move (a card or piece) in a game: play the ace of clubs

    6. To hit (a ball, shot, or stroke), as in tennis: played a strong backhand.

    7. To attempt to keep or gain possession or control of: No foul was called because he was playing the ball.

    8. To bet; wager: played ten dollars on the horse.

    9. To make bets on: play the races.

    10. To perform on (an instrument): play the guitar.

    11. To perform (a piece) on instruments or an instrument.

    1. To bet; wager: played ten dollars on the horse.

    2. To make bets on: play the races.

    3. To perform on (an instrument): play the guitar.

    4. To perform (a piece) on instruments or an instrument.

  7. To perform or put into effect, especially as a jest or deception: play a joke on a friend.

  8. To handle; manage: played the matter quietly.

  9. To use or manipulate, especially for one's own interests: played his opponents against each other.

  10. Music

    1. To perform on (an instrument): play the guitar.

    2. To perform (a piece) on instruments or an instrument.

  11. To cause (a compact disk or audiocassette, for example) to emit recorded sounds.

  12. To discharge or direct in or as if in a continuous stream: play a hose on a fire.

  13. To cause to move rapidly, lightly, or irregularly: play lights over the dance floor.

  14. To exhaust (a hooked fish) by allowing it to pull on the line.

n.  

    1. A literary work written for performance on the stage; a drama.

    2. The performance of such a work.

    3. The act or manner of engaging in a game or sport: After a time-out, play resumed. The golf tournament featured expert play.

    4. The act or manner of using a card, piece, or ball in a game or sport: my partner's play of the last trump; his clumsy play of the rebound.

    5. A move or an action in a game: It's your play. The runner was thrown out in a close play.

    6. Action, motion, or use: the play of the imagination.

    7. Freedom or occasion for action; scope: give full play to an artist's talents. See Synonyms at room.

    8. To establish the winner of (a tie) by playing in an additional game or series of games.

    9. To participate in a playoff.

  2. Activity engaged in for enjoyment or recreation.

  3. Fun or jesting: It was all done in play.

    1. The act or manner of engaging in a game or sport: After a time-out, play resumed. The golf tournament featured expert play.

    2. The act or manner of using a card, piece, or ball in a game or sport: my partner's play of the last trump; his clumsy play of the rebound.

    3. A move or an action in a game: It's your play. The runner was thrown out in a close play.

    4. Action, motion, or use: the play of the imagination.

    5. Freedom or occasion for action; scope: give full play to an artist's talents. See Synonyms at room.

    6. To establish the winner of (a tie) by playing in an additional game or series of games.

    7. To participate in a playoff.

  5. Participation in betting; gambling.

  6. Manner of dealing with others; conduct: fair play.

  7. An attempt to obtain something; a bid: a play for sympathy.

    1. Action, motion, or use: the play of the imagination.

    2. Freedom or occasion for action; scope: give full play to an artist's talents. See Synonyms at room.

    3. To establish the winner of (a tie) by playing in an additional game or series of games.

    4. To participate in a playoff.

  9. Movement or space for movement, as of mechanical parts.

  10. Quick, often irregular movement or action, especially of light or color: the play of color on iridescent feathers.

  11. To participate in; engage in.

  12. To do or take part in halfheartedly.

  13. Sports

    1. To establish the winner of (a tie) by playing in an additional game or series of games.

    2. To participate in a playoff.

  14. To set (one individual or party) in opposition to another so as to advance one's own interests: a parent who played off one child against another.

Phrasal Verb(s):
play along Informal To cooperate or pretend to cooperate: decided to play along with the robbers for a while.
play aroundTo philander.
play at

  1. To participate in; engage in.

  2. To do or take part in halfheartedly.

play backTo replay (a recently recorded tape, for example).
play downTo minimize the importance of; make little of: played down the defect to protect the troops' morale.
play off

  1. Sports

    1. To establish the winner of (a tie) by playing in an additional game or series of games.

    2. To participate in a playoff.

  2. To set (one individual or party) in opposition to another so as to advance one's own interests: a parent who played off one child against another.

play on/uponTo take advantage of (another's attitudes or feelings) for one's own interests: demagogues who play on popular fears.
play outTo use up; exhaust: Our strength was played out early in the contest.
play upTo emphasize or publicize: She played up her experience during the job interview.

Idiom(s):
in play

  1. Sports In a position to be legally or feasibly played: The ball is now in play.

  2. In a position, or rumored to be in a position of possible corporate takeover: The company's stock rose in price when it was said to be in play.


Idiom(s):
out of play Sports Not in a position to be legally or feasibly played.

Idiom(s):
play ball Slang To cooperate: The opposing attorneys refused to play ball with us.

Idiom(s):
play both ends against the middleTo set opposing parties or interests against one another so as to advance one's own goals.

Idiom(s):
play fast and looseTo behave in a recklessly irresponsible or deceitful manner: played fast and loose with the facts.

Idiom(s):
play for timeTo use delaying tactics; temporize.

Idiom(s):
play games Slang To be evasive or deceptive: Quit playing games and tell me what you want.

Idiom(s):
play hard to getTo pretend to be inaccessible or uninterested, as when flirting.

Idiom(s):
play in Peoria Slang To be acceptable to average constituents or consumers.

Idiom(s):
play into the hands ofTo act or behave so as to give an advantage to (an opponent).

Idiom(s):
play (one's) cards Informal To use the resources or strategies at one's disposal: played her cards right and got promoted.

Idiom(s):
play possumTo pretend to be sleeping or dead.

Idiom(s):
play the fieldTo date more than one person.

Idiom(s):
play the game Informal To behave according to the accepted customs or standards.

Idiom(s):
play up toTo curry favor with.

Idiom(s):
play with a full deck Slang To be of sound mind: didn't seem to be playing with a full deck.

Idiom(s):
play with fireTo take part in a dangerous or risky undertaking.

Idiom(s):
play with (oneself) Vulgar Slang To masturbate.

[Middle English playen, from Old English plegian; see dlegh- in Indo-European roots.]
play'a·bil'i·ty n., play'a·ble adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
ball

  1. n.
    a wild time at a party; a good time. : We really had a ball. See ya!
  2. n.
    a testicle. (Usually plural. Usually objectionable. See also balls.) : The teacher preferred “testicles” to “balls,” if they had to be mentioned at all.
  3. in.
    to enjoy oneself. (Ambiguous with the next sense.) : The whole crowd was balling and having a fine time.
  4. in.
    to depart; to leave. : It's late. Let's ball.
  5. tv. & in.
    to copulate [with] someone. (Usually objectionable.) : Isn't there anything more to you than balling?
  6. in.
    to play a ball game. (Probably a deliberate pun on sense 5.) : Bob's out balling with the guys.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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play ball (with (so))

  1. tv.
    to cooperate with someone. : Are you going to play ball, or do I have to report you to the boss?
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

ball  (2)
"dancing party," 1632, from O.Fr. baller "to dance," from L.L. ballare "to dance," from Gk. ballizein "to dance, jump about," also "to throw," from PIE base *gwel- "to drip, spring forth, throw" (cf. Skt. balbaliti "whirls, twirls," Gk. ballizo "dance," O.E. plega "play"). Hence, "very enjoyable time" (1945, Amer.Eng. slang). Ballroom dancing first attested 1894.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 2ball
Function: transitive verb
: to give a medicinal ball to (as a horse)
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

ball (bôl)
n.

  1. A spherical object or mass.

  2. A bezoar.

  3. A large pill or bolus.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Idioms & Phrases

play ball

  1. Cooperate, as in The opposing attorneys refused to play ball with us. [Slang; c. 1900]

  2. Get going, start, as in It's time to get a move on; let's play ball. This usage comes from the baseball umpire's call to start a game. [Slang; late 1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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