ball
gb/bˈɔl/ us/bˈɔl/
A1
Kiingereza
~ 1200
Maana
maana 0
Nomino
A1
entity
1
Round object for sports or games
A round object that people use to play sports or games.
Muundo wa matumizi:
to throw/kick/hit [a ball]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes confuse 'ball' with 'bowl' when speaking quickly.
Visawe
sphere (More general term for any round three-dimensional object, not limited to sports.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
throw a ball
|kick a ball
|hit a ball
|catch a ball
Mada
sports
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- He kicked the ball into the goal.
- The children were playing with a ball in the park.
- She caught the ball with one hand.
- The ball bounced over the fence.
- They passed the ball back and forth.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- I can throw the ball far.
- The ball is on the ground.
- He hits the ball hard.
- We play with a ball every day.
Nomino
B1
event
2
Formal dance party
A big, formal party where people dance.
Muundo wa matumizi:
to attend/go to [a ball]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners may confuse this meaning with the sports object meaning, especially in writing without context.
Visawe
gala (A large, elegant social event, sometimes without dancing.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
attend a ball
|host a ball
|charity ball
Mada
social life
|events
|arts_entertainment
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- They attended the royal ball at the palace.
- The charity ball raised thousands of dollars.
- She wore a beautiful gown to the ball.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- We went to a big ball last night.
- The ball was in a large hall.
- She danced at the ball.
Nomino
informal
B1
entity
3
A lot of fun
A very fun and happy time.
Muundo wa matumizi:
to have [a ball]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners may interpret this literally as involving a physical ball if unaware of the idiomatic usage.
Visawe
blast (Informal term for an enjoyable experience, often more casual than 'ball'.)
Vinyume
bore (An uninteresting or unpleasant experience.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
have a ball
Mada
emotions
|daily life
|daily_life
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- We had a ball at the party last night.
- They’re having a ball playing in the snow.
- You’ll have a ball on your trip to Italy.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- I had a ball at the park.
- They have a ball at school parties.
- We had a ball with our friends.
Nomino
A2
entity
4
Solid spherical mass of material
A round piece of something like clay, dough, or paper.
Visawe
globule (Small drop or rounded particle, often liquid.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
ball of dough
|ball of clay
|ball of yarn
Mada
cooking
|crafts
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- Roll the dough into a small ball.
- She made a ball of clay for her art project.
- The cat played with a ball of yarn.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- I made a ball from paper.
- The cat plays with a ball of yarn.
- She rolls the clay into a ball.
Kitenzi
B1
action
5
Form into a round shape
To make something round by pressing or rolling it.
Muundo wa matumizi:
to ball [something] up
Visawe
roll (To turn something over and over to shape it into a cylinder or sphere.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
ball up paper
|ball up clothes
Mada
crafts
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- He balled up the piece of paper and threw it away.
- She balled the dough before baking it.
- Ball the fabric before storing it.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- I ball up my socks.
- She balls up the paper and throws it away.
- We ball the dough before cooking.
Sarufi
Umbo la kamusi
ball
IPA
GB/bˈɔl/
US/bˈɔl/
Silabi na mkazo
ball (silabi 1)
Stress on 1st syllable (ball)
Maumbo ya neno
Noun
- Base: ball
- Plural: balls
Verb
- Base: ball
- 3rd Person Singular: balls
- Present Participle: balling
- Past: balled
Familia ya neno
Forms
balls
noun
balling
verb
balled
verb
Core family
Related words
Advanced or less common
ballpark
noun
Semi
get the ball rolling
1/ɡˈɛt ðə bˈɔl ɹˈoʊlɪŋ/
idiom
informal
Start something happening or moving forward
To begin an activity or make something start working.
Mifano
- Let’s get the ball rolling on this new campaign.
- She got the ball rolling by introducing everyone.
have a ball
1/hˈæv ə bˈɔl/
idiom
informal
Have a great time
To have a very fun and happy time.
Mifano
- We had a ball at the wedding reception.
- You’re going to have a ball on your vacation.
keep your eye on the ball
1/kˈip jˈʊɹ ˈaɪ ˈɔn ðə bˈɔl/
idiom
Stay focused on what matters
To pay attention to what is important and not get distracted.
Mifano
- If you want to win, keep your eye on the ball.
- We need to keep our eye on the ball during this project.
the ball is in your court
1/ðə bˈɔl ˈɪz ˈɪn jˈʊɹ kˈɔɹt/
idiom
It's your turn to act or decide
It is now your time to make a choice or do something.
Mifano
- I’ve done all I can; now the ball is in your court.
- The offer has been made—the ball is in their court.
drop the ball
1/dɹˈɑp ðə bˈɔl/
idiom
informal
Fail to do something important correctly or on time
To make a mistake because you forgot or didn’t do something you should have done.
Mifano
- He really dropped the ball on that project deadline.
- I really dropped the ball on that project deadline.
- We can’t afford to drop the ball this time.
- He dropped the ball during the meeting and forgot key points.