1
- a solid or hollow sphere or ovoid, especially one that is kicked, thrown, or hit in a game球：
a cricket ball.
板球。
1.1
- an object or mass of material having a similar shape球状物; 团：
a ball of wool
一团羊毛
he crushed the card into a ball.
他把卡片捏成一团。
1.2
- historical a solid spherical non-explosive projectile for a cannon〈史〉（炮）弹丸。
1.3
- mass noun a game played with a ball球类运动：
he comes across a group of kids playing ball.
他遇见一群打球的小孩子。
1.4
- mass noun N. Amer. baseball〈北美〉棒球：
young men would graduate from college and enter pro ball.
年轻人将从大学毕业并开始职业棒球生涯。
2
- a single throw, kick, or other movement of the ball in the course of a game, in particular（对球的一次）投, 踢, 传, 接, 击, 尤指：
2.1
- Cricket a delivery of the ball by the bowler to the batsman【板球】投球。
2.2
- Baseball a pitch delivered outside the strike zone which the batter does not attempt to hit【棒球】（投手投出的）坏球。
2.3
- Soccer a pass of the ball in a specified direction or manner【英足】传球：
Whelan sent a long ball to Goddard.
惠兰将球长传给戈达德。
with obj.
1
- squeeze or form (something) into a rounded shape把…捏（揉）成团：
Robert balled up his napkin and threw it on to his plate.
罗伯特把餐巾揉成一团扔到盘子里。
1.1
- clench or screw up (one's fist) tightly攥紧（拳头）：
she balled her fist so that the nails dug into her palms.
她攥紧拳头, 指甲戳进手掌里。
1.2
- no obj. form a round shape成球（团）状：
the fishing nets eventually ball up and sink.
渔网最终成团沉下。
1.3
- wrap the root ball of (a tree or shrub) in hessian to protect it during transportation（移植树木时）将根与泥用麻布包捆成团（以防受伤）。
2
- N. Amer. vulgar slang have sexual intercourse with (someone)〈北美, 粗俚〉与（某人）性交。
3
- no obj. Brit. (of a flower) fail to open properly, decaying in the half-open bud〈英〉（花）未开先败。
短语
the ball is in your court
- it is up to you to make the next move下一步就看你的了。
a ball of fire
- a person who is full of energy and enthusiasm生龙活虎的人。
the ball of the foot
- the rounded protuberant part of the foot at the base of the big toe大脚趾球。
the ball of the thumb
- the rounded protuberant part of the hand at the base of the thumb拇指球。
have a lot（或not much）on the ball
- have a lot of (or not much) ability很有（或没什么）能力。
keep the ball rolling
- maintain the momentum of an activity使活动继续, 保持活动势头。
keep one's eye on（或take one's eye off）the ball
- keep (or fail to keep) one's attention focused on the matter in hand集中（或未能集中）注意力。
on the ball
- alert to new ideas, methods, and trends敏锐的, 机警的。
play ball
1
- play a ball game such as baseball or cricket参加球赛。
1.1
- informal work willingly with others; cooperate〈非正式〉合作：
if his solicitors won't play ball, there's nothing we can do.
如果他的律师不合作, 我们就没办法了。
start（或get, set）the ball rolling
- set an activity in motion; make a start开始活动。
the whole ball of wax
- N. Amer. informal everything〈北美, 非正式〉全部; 所有。
词源
Middle English: from Old Norse bllr， of Germanic origin.