English Words Starting With B

• ball

  nounverbverb-intransitiveverb-transitiveA1
  /bɔːl/A spherical or approximately spherical object used in games, sports, or as a toy.
• ball ammunition

  nounC1/C2
  /bɔːl ˌæmjʊˈnɪʃən/A type of small arms ammunition consisting of a full metal jacket bullet, designed primarily for target practice and general military use.
• ball and chain

  nounC1-C2
  /ˌbɔːl ən ˈtʃeɪn/A heavy iron ball attached to a prisoner's leg by a chain, historically used to prevent escape.
• ball and ring

  nounC1/C2
  /ˌbɔːl ən ˈrɪŋ/A classic engineering and physics demonstration device consisting of a metal ball and a separate metal ring, used to illustrate thermal expansion.
• ball bearing

  nounC1
  /ˌbɔːl ˈbeə.rɪŋ/A bearing in which the load is carried by a number of hardened steel balls that roll between two grooved, concentric metal rings.
• ball boy

  nounC1
  /ˈbɔːl ˌbɔɪ/A person, typically a boy or young man, employed in tennis, football, cricket, or other sports to retrieve balls that go out of play and return them to the players.
• ball clay

  nounC2
  /ˈbɔːl ˌkleɪ/A fine-grained, highly plastic sedimentary clay, typically grey or off-white in colour, used as a key ingredient in ceramics and other industrial applications.
• ball club

  nounMedium (common in North American sports contexts; low elsewhere)
  /ˈbɔːl klʌb/An organized group of people who play baseball (or occasionally cricket) as a team.
• ball cock

  nounC1
  /ˈbɔːl ˌkɒk/A valve in a water tank (like a toilet cistern) controlled by a floating ball that opens or closes the water supply.
• ball control

  nounC1
  /ˌbɔːl kənˈtrəʊl/The ability of a player to receive, manipulate, and keep possession of a ball using their feet, body, or stick, primarily in sports like football (soccer).
• ball fern

  nounRare / Technical
  /ˌbɔːl ˈfɜːn/A type of decorative fern (often Nephrolepis exaltata 'Bostoniensis'), characterized by its dense, rounded, ball-like cluster of fronds.
• ball foot

  nounRare / C2
  /ˈbɔːl ˌfʊt/A furniture leg with a spherical or round foot at its base.
• ball game

  nounB2
  /ˈbɔːl ˌɡeɪm/A game involving a ball, typically played as a sport.
• ball girl

  nounC1
  /ˈbɔːl ɡɜːl/A young female who retrieves stray balls (especially tennis balls) during a match or practice session.
• ball handling

  nounMedium
  /ˈbɔːl ˌhændlɪŋ/The skill of controlling and manipulating a ball, especially with the hands, in sports.
• ball hawk

  nounC1/C2
  /ˈbɔːl ˌhɔːk/A player in sports, especially American football or baseball, who is exceptionally skilled at intercepting or catching the ball.
• ball hockey

  nounLow-medium (common in Canada, rare elsewhere; context-specific).
  /ˈbɔːl ˌhɒk.i/An informal version of ice hockey played on a non-ice surface (usually asphalt, concrete, or sport court) using a ball instead of a puck, typically with inline skates or on foot.
• ball ice

  nounVery Low / Specialized
  /ˈbɔːl ˌaɪs/A specific formation of ice that appears as a spherical, often translucent lump, typically created by wave action or water turbulence.
• ball joint

  nounC1
  /ˈbɔːl ˌdʒɔɪnt/A mechanical joint consisting of a ball within a socket, allowing rotational movement in multiple directions.
• ball lightning

  nounC2 (Very Low Frequency)
  /ˌbɔːl ˈlaɪt.nɪŋ/A rare and unexplained atmospheric electrical phenomenon, appearing as a luminous, spherical object that moves independently and lasts from a few seconds to minutes, usually during thunderstorms.

Showing 801–820 of 10030 words.