1. (n.) Any round or roundish body or mass; a sphere or globe; as, a ball of twine; a ball of snow.

2. (n.) A spherical body of any substance or size used to play with, as by throwing, knocking, kicking, etc.

3. (n.) A general name for games in which a ball is thrown, kicked, or knocked. See Football.

4. (n.) 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. (n.) 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. (n.) 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cushion, fastened to a handle called a ballstock; -- formerly used by printers for inking the form, but now superseded by the roller.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. (n.) A roundish protuberant portion of some part of the body; as, the ball of the thumb; the ball of the foot.

8. (n.) A large pill, a form in which medicine is commonly given to horses; a bolus.

9. (n.) The globe or earth.

10. (v. i.) 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.

11. (v. t.) To heat in a furnace and form into balls for rolling.

12. (v. t.) To form or wind into a ball; as, to ball cotton.

13. (n.) A social assembly for the purpose of dancing.