1. [n]  a pitch that is not in the strike zone; "he threw nine straight balls before the manager yanked him"
2. [n]  a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of 9 players; teams take turns at bat trying to score run; "he played baseball in high school"; "there was a baseball game on every empy lot"; "there was a desire for National League ball in the area"; "play ball!"
3. [n]  round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games; "the ball travelled 90 mph on his serve"; "the mayor threw out the first ball"
4. [n]  a spherical object used as a plaything; "he played with his rubber ball in the bathtub"
5. [n]  a solid ball shot by a musket; "they had to carry a ramrod as well as powder and ball"
6. [n]  one of the two male reproductive glands that produce spermatozoa and secrete androgens; "she kicked him in the balls and got away"
7. [n]  a more or less rounded anatomical body or mass; ball of the human foot or ball at the base of the thumb; "he stood on the balls of his feet"
8. [n]  a lavish formal dance
9. [n]  a compact mass; "a ball of mud caught him on the shoulder"
10. [n]  the people assembled at a lavish formal dance; "the ball was already emptying out before the fire alarm sounded"
11. [n]  an object with a spherical shape; "a ball of fire"
12. [v]  form into a ball by winding, rolling, etc.; ball wool, for example

BALL is a 4 letter word that starts with B.

1. \Ball\ (b[add]l), n. [OE. bal, balle; akin to OHG. balla,
   palla, G. ball, Icel. b["o]llr, ball; cf. F. balle. Cf. 1st
   {Bale}, n., {Pallmall}.]
   1. Any round or roundish body or mass; a sphere or globe; as,
      a ball of twine; a ball of snow.
   2. A spherical body of any substance or size used to play
      with, as by throwing, knocking, kicking, etc.
   3. A general name for games in which a ball is thrown,
      kicked, or knocked. See {Baseball}, and {Football}.
   4. Any solid spherical, cylindrical, or conical projectile of
      lead or iron, to be discharged from a firearm; as, a
      cannon ball; a rifle ball; -- often used collectively; as,
      powder and ball. Spherical balls for the smaller firearms
      are commonly called {bullets}.
   5. (Pyrotechnics & Mil.) A flaming, roundish body shot into
      the air; a case filled with combustibles intended to burst
      and give light or set fire, or to produce smoke or stench;
      as, a fire ball; a stink ball.
   6. (Print.) A leather-covered cushion, fastened to a handle
      called a ballstock; -- formerly used by printers for
      inking the form, but now superseded by the roller.
   7. A roundish protuberant portion of some part of the body;
      as, the ball of the thumb; the ball of the foot.
   8. (Far.) A large pill, a form in which medicine is commonly
      given to horses; a bolus. --White.
   9. The globe or earth. --Pope.
            Move round the dark terrestrial ball. --Addison.
   {Ball and socket joint}, a joint in which a ball moves within
      a socket, so as to admit of motion in every direction
      within certain limits.
   {Ball bearings}, a mechanical device for lessening the
      friction of axle bearings by means of small loose metal
      balls.
   {Ball cartridge}, a cartridge containing a ball, as
      distinguished from a blank cartridge, containing only
      powder.
   {Ball cock}, a faucet or valve which is opened or closed by
      the fall or rise of a ball floating in water at the end of
      a lever.
   {Ball gudgeon}, a pivot of a spherical form, which permits
      lateral deflection of the arbor or shaft, while retaining
      the pivot in its socket. --Knight.
   {Ball lever}, the lever used in a ball cock.
   {Ball of the eye}, the eye itself, as distinguished from its
      lids and socket; -- formerly, the pupil of the eye.
   {Ball valve} (Mach.), a contrivance by which a ball, placed
      in a circular cup with a hole in its bottom, operates as a
      valve.
   {Ball vein} (Mining), a sort of iron ore, found in loose
      masses of a globular form, containing sparkling particles.
   {Three balls}, or {Three golden balls}, a pawnbroker's sign
      or shop.
   Syn: See {Globe}.
   

2. \Ball\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Balled} (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Balling}.]
   To gather balls which cling to the feet, as of damp snow or
   clay; to gather into balls; as, the horse balls; the snow
   balls.
   

3. \Ball\, v. t.
   1. (Metal.) To heat in a furnace and form into balls for
      rolling.
   2. To form or wind into a ball; as, to ball cotton.
   

4. \Ball\, n. [F. bal, fr. OF. baler to dance, fr. LL.
   ballare. Of uncertain origin; cf. Gr. ? to toss or throw, or
   ?, ?, to leap, bound, ? to dance, jump about; or cf. 1st
   {Ball}, n.]
   A social assembly for the purpose of dancing.
   

5. \Ball\, n. (Baseball)
   A pitched ball, not struck at by the batsman, which fails to
   pass over the home base at a height not greater than the
   batsman's shoulder nor less than his knee.