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spitball

 - 2 dictionary results

spit⋅ball

[spit-bawl]
–noun
1. a small ball or lump of chewed paper used as a missile.
2. Also called spitter. Baseball. a pitch, now illegal, made to curve by moistening one side of the ball with saliva or perspiration.

Origin:
1840–50, Americanism; spit 1 + ball 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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spit·ball   (spĭt'bôl')   
n.  
  1. A piece of paper chewed and shaped into a lump for use as a projectile.

  2. Baseball An illegal pitch in which a foreign substance, such as saliva, is applied to the ball before it is thrown. Also called spitter.

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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