World Book 1997 4.0

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<HTML> <HEAD><TITLE>DICTIONARY: ball - ballet mistress</TITLE></HEAD> <BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"> <A HREF="a.dic">A</A> <A HREF="b.dic">B</A> <A HREF="c.dic">C</A> <A HREF="d.dic">D</A> <A HREF="e.dic">E</A> <A HREF="f.dic">F</A> <A HREF="g.dic">G</A> <A HREF="h.dic">H</A> <A HREF="i.dic">I</A> <A HREF="j.dic">J</A> <A HREF="k.dic">K</A> <A HREF="l.dic">L</A> <A HREF="m.dic">M</A> <A HREF="n.dic">N</A> <A HREF="o.dic">O</A> <A HREF="p.dic">P</A> <A HREF="q.dic">Q</A> <A HREF="r.dic">R</A> <A HREF="s.dic">S</A> <A HREF="t.dic">T</A> <A HREF="u.dic">U</A> <A HREF="v.dic">V</A> <A HREF="w.dic">W</A> <A HREF="x.dic">X</A> <A HREF="y.dic">Y</A> <A HREF="z.dic">Z</A> <A NAME="ball"> ball (1), noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD>noun 1. a roundish body thrown, kicked, knocked, or batted about in various games. Different sizes and types of balls are used in golf, tennis, baseball, football, and soccer. Ex. When Dad threw the ball, I dropped it and it rolled under a car. <DD> 2. a game in which some kind of ball is thrown, hit, or kicked, especially baseball. <DD> 3a. anything round or roundish. Ex. He bought a ball of string. <DD> b. something that is somewhat like a ball. Ex. He had a blister on the ball of his foot. <DD> 4. a particular throw or play of a ball in certain games; a ball in motion. Ex. a fast ball, a fly ball. <DD> 5. a baseball pitched too high, too low, or not over the plate, that the batter does not strike at. <DD> 6a. a bullet for firearms; a round, solid object to be shot from a gun. <DD> b. a cannon ball. <DD> 7. the globe; sphere; the earth. Ex. ... round the dark terrestrial ball (Joseph Addison). <DD> 8. the roots of a plant, together with its mass of earth, tied up in a bundle for transplanting. <DD>v.i. to form or gather into a ball. <DD>v.t. to make or form into a ball. Ex. to ball string or yarn. expr. ball up, (Slang.) to confuse. Ex. In a situation as balled-up as this, it is not surprising to learn that there would still be knots even if the "historic boundaries" tangle is untied (Wall Street Journal). expr. carry the ball, (U.S. Informal.) to take the chief part in pushing or carrying through a plan or activity. Ex. Some good friends are carrying the ball for us (New Yorker). expr. have (something) on the ball, (Informal.) to be skillful; have ability, alertness, or the like. Ex. The new science teacher has a lot on the ball. expr. keep the ball rolling, to keep up an activity by doing one's part. Ex. If they can, they pay a "good-will fee" ... whether they do or not, all work around the place to help keep the ball rolling (Newsweek). expr. on the ball, (Slang.) aware of what is going on or needs to be done; alert. Ex. We have to stay on the ball to keep the company satisfied with our vouchers (Wall Street Journal). expr. play ball, <DD> a. to begin a ball game or start it again after stopping. Ex. "Let's play ball!" some of the boys shouted as soon as recess began. <DD> b. (Informal, Figurative.) to get busy; become active. Ex. A worker who doesn't play ball when he is told to finish a job runs the risk of being dismissed. <DD> c. (U.S. Informal, Figurative.) to work together; cooperate. Ex. Under the ILA system, the union itself did the hiring for shippers at daily "shape-ups," and if a longshoreman refused to play ball he didn't work (Newsweek). expr. start the ball rolling, to make a beginning; get started. Ex. I think we should start the ball rolling to get some decent pictures (London Times). </DL> <A NAME="ball"> ball (2), noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD>noun 1. a large, formal party with dancing. Ex. The ladies were all dressed in long gowns at the ball. <DD> 2. (Slang.) a very good time. Ex. We'd have had a ball in Hollywood (New Yorker). <DD>v.i. (U.S. Slang.) to have a very good time. </DL> <A NAME="ballad"> ballad, noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD>noun 1. a poem that tells a story. Ballads are usually in a simple verse form and tell a popular legend that is passed from one generation to another orally. Ex. The old man sang ballads of the clan's heroes, often to the tune of a folk song. <DD> 2. a simple song. Ex. a charming ballad of the north country. <DD> 3. a sentimental of romantic popular song. Ex. Many of the ballads of mother's day are still popular. <DD> 4. the music for a narrative ballad or folk song. Ex. Many of the old ballads are sung to new words. <DD>v.i. to write or compose ballads. noun ballader. </DL> <A NAME="ballade"> ballade, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a poem typically having three stanzas of eight or ten lines each, followed by an envoy of half the stanza length. The last line of each stanza and of the envoy are the same, and the same rhyme pattern recurs in each stanza. <DD> 2. an instrumental composition without a strict formal design, often of a sentimental character and written for the piano or orchestra. </DL> <A NAME="balladeer"> balladeer, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a singer of ballads. <DD> 2. (U.S. Informal.) a singer of popular songs. </DL> <A NAME="balladier"> balladier, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (French.) a singer of ballads. </DL> <A NAME="balladist"> balladist, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a writer or composer of ballads. </DL> <A NAME="balladmonger"> balladmonger, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a dealer in or seller of ballads. <DD> 2. an inferior poet; poetaster. </DL> <A NAME="balladry"> balladry, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1a. poetry in the ballad style. <DD> b. ballads collectively. <DD> 2. the practice, style, or art of singing ballads. </DL> <A NAME="balladstanza"> ballad stanza,<DL COMPACT><DD> a stanza of four lines, rhyming abcb, the first and third containing eight syllables each, and the second and fourth six each. </DL> <A NAME="ballandchain"> ball and chain,<DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) <DD> 1. a heavy metal ball and piece of short chain that may be attached to the leg of a prisoner to prevent escape. <DD> 2. (Slang.) a spouse (commonly used jocularly by a husband of his wife). <DD> 3. any impediment or restraint. </DL> <A NAME="ballandclaw"> ball-and-claw, adjective. =claw-and-ball.</DL> <A NAME="ballandsocketjoint"> ball-and-socket joint,<DL COMPACT><DD> a flexible joint formed by a ball or knob fitting in a socket, such as the shoulder or hip joint. It permits some motion in every direction. </DL> <A NAME="ballast"> ballast, noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD>noun 1. something heavy carried in the hold of a ship to steady it. Ex. Most ships use seawater as ballast. As the ship takes on cargo, the ballast water is pumped out (Lionel Casson). <DD> 2. bags of sand or other heavy material carriedin a balloon or dirigible to steady it or regulate its ascent. Ex. The balloon used sandbags for ballast. <DD> 3. (Figurative.) anything which makes a person or thing steady; stabilizing agent or force. Ex. It wants the ballast of those, whom the world calls moderate men (Jonathan Swift). <DD> 4. gravel or crushed rock used in making the bed for a road or railroad track, or in making concrete. <DD> 5. a device to keep an electric current constant, for fluorescent lighting, or other devices, usually consisting of an iron wire mounted in a vacuum tube filled with hydrogen. Its varying resistance counteracts fluctuations of voltage. <DD>v.t. 1. to put ballast in (ships or balloons); furnish or steady with ballast. <DD> 2. to put gravel or crushed rock on. <DD> 3. (Figurative.) to give stability or steadiness to. expr. in ballast, (of a ship) with no load other than ballast. Ex. When in ballast the Bywell Castle draws 12 feet aft (London Daily News). noun ballaster. </DL> <A NAME="ballasting"> ballasting, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. the act or process of furnishing with ballast. <DD> 2. the material used for ballast. </DL> <A NAME="ballasttank"> ballast tank,<DL COMPACT><DD> a compartment in a ship or submarine which may be filled with water or emptied by means of pumps. Ballast tanks help control the vertical movement of submarines. </DL> <A NAME="ballbearing"> ball bearing,<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a bearing in which the shaft turns upon a number of freely moving, very smooth metal balls which are contained in a channel around the shaft. Ball bearings are used to lessen friction in machinery and in wheels and axles. <DD> 2. one of the metal balls so used. </DL> <A NAME="ballboy"> ball boy,<DL COMPACT><DD> a boy who retrieves tennis balls and supplies them to the players as they are needed, especially in a tournament. </DL> <A NAME="ballcarrier"> ball carrier,<DL COMPACT><DD> any player who carries the ball in football. </DL> <A NAME="ballclay"> ball clay, =pipe clay.</DL> <A NAME="ballclub"> ball club,<DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S. Informal.) <DD> 1. any established baseball, football, soccer, or basketball team, whether amateur or professional. <DD> 2. the players, coaches, managers, and other persons associated with such a team, especially a professional team. </DL> <A NAME="ballcock"> ball cock,<DL COMPACT><DD> a valve for regulating the supply of liquid in a tank, cistern, or other container, consisting typically of a valve attached by a lever to a hollow, floating ball and turned off or on by the ball's rise or fall. </DL> <A NAME="ballerina"> ballerina, noun, pl. -nas.<DL COMPACT><DD> a woman ballet dancer, especially a soloist. </DL> <A NAME="ballet"> ballet, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. an elaborate dance by a group on a stage. A ballet usually tells a story or expresses a theme through the movements of the dancing and the music, often written especially for it. Ex. Everyone knows the fairy tale of the sleeping beauty which we saw as a ballet. <DD> 2. the style of dancing used in these performances combining graceful, intricate steps, movements, and poses. Ex. to study ballet. <DD> 3. the art of creating or performing ballets. <DD> 4. the dancers. Ex. The Royal Ballet will soon perform in our city. <DD> 5. the music for a ballet. </DL> <A NAME="balletblanc"> ballet blanc,<DL COMPACT><DD> (French.) a ballet or scene in a ballet featuring white-skirted ballerinas. </DL> <A NAME="balletic"> balletic, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with ballet. adv. balletically. </DL> <A NAME="balletmaster"> ballet master,<DL COMPACT><DD> the trainer or director of a ballet. </DL> <A NAME="balletmistress"> ballet mistress,<DL COMPACT><DD> a woman ballet master. </DL> <A HREF="balletom.dic">NEXT</A>