\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   inking the form, but now superseded by the roller.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}.

\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.

\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.

\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.

\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.