<B>balletomane, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who is very fond of ballets, especially one with considerable knowledge of their music, techniques, and other specific features; ballet enthusiast. </DL>
<A NAME="balletomania">
<B>balletomania, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> devotion to the ballet. </DL>
<A NAME="balletslipper">
<B>ballet slipper,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a type of soft, low-cut, narrow-soled shoe without laces or heel, sometimes padded in the toe, worn for ballet dancing. <DD><B> 2. </B>any one of various women's or girls' shoes patterned on this. </DL>
<A NAME="ballflower">
<B>ballflower, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a round, carved ornament in medieval architecture. It is like a ball within three or four petals of a flower and seen through a quatrefoil or trefoil opening. The entire ornament is usually one of many such balls within a hollow molding. </DL>
<A NAME="ballgame">
<B>ball game,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a baseball game. <DD><B> 2. </B>any game in which a ball is used. <DD><B> 3. </B>(U.S. Slang.) any situation or activity. <BR> <I>Ex. It's a totally different ball game than it was in 1960 ... for mayors in America (Harper's).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="ballgown">
<B>ballgown, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a gown suitable for a ball; evening gown. </DL>
<A NAME="ballibuntal">
<B>ballibuntal</B> or <B>ballibuntl, </B>noun. <B>=balibuntal.</B></DL>
<A NAME="balling">
<B>balling, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the administration of a drug compounded as a bolus or ball, especially to one of the larger animals. <DD><B> 2. </B>the action or process of forming balls in a puddling furnace. </DL>
<A NAME="ballista">
<B>ballista, </B>noun, pl. <B>-tae.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a machine used in wars of ancient times to throw stones and other heavy missiles. </DL>
<A NAME="ballistic">
<B>ballistic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having to do with the motion or throwing of projectiles. <BR> <I>Ex. ballistic qualities.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>having to do with the science of ballistics. <BR><I>expr. <B>go ballistic,</B> </I>to become suddenly and extremely angry or excited; overreact. <BR> <I>Ex. Guber went ballistic in his reply to the insufferable little nobody (Spy Magazine).</I> adv. <B>ballistically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="ballistician">
<B>ballistician, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an expert in or student of ballistics. </DL>
<A NAME="ballisticmissile">
<B>ballistic missile,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a missile aimed at or before the time of launching. It differs from the type of a guided missile, aimed during flight. A ballistic missile is a projectile powered by a rocket engine or engines and is used especially as a weapon of offense. It is propelled through the upward part of a curved trajectory and becomes a free-falling body after the thrust has ended. <BR> <I>Ex. The ballistic missile is so named because, like an artillery shell or a stone hurled by the giant slingshot called by the Romans a ballista, it is propelled only over a relatively short time and distance at the beginning of its journey (Atlantic).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="ballistics">
<B>ballistics, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(sing. in use.) the science that deals with the motion of projectiles, such as bullets, shells, or bombs, and also rockets and missiles after thrust has ended. <DD><B> 2. </B>(pl. in use.) the qualities of a projectile or missile that determine its flight; ballistic qualities. </DL>
<A NAME="ballistictrajectory">
<B>ballistic trajectory,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the curved path of a projectile after the propelling force has ended. </DL>
<A NAME="ballistite">
<B>ballistite, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a powerful explosive consisting of nitroglycerin and guncotton. </DL>
<A NAME="ballistocardiogram">
<B>ballistocardiogram, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the record of a heart's action taken by a ballistocardiograph. </DL>
<A NAME="ballistocardiograph">
<B>ballistocardiograph, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an instrument for determining the strength of the heart's contraction, and the amount of blood it pumps, by measuring the body's recoil as blood from the heart is forced into it. </DL>
<A NAME="ballistocardiographic">
<B>ballistocardiographic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with a ballistocardiograph. </DL>
<A NAME="ballistocardiography">
<B>ballistocardiography, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the recording of the heart's action by a ballistocardiograph. </DL>
<A NAME="balljoint">
<B>balljoint, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> a ball-and-socket joint. <DD><I>adj. </I> using or having to do with a ball-and-socket joint. <BR> <I>Ex. balljoint suspension.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="balllightning">
<B>ball lightning,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a rare kind of lightning shaped like a globe of fire, moving at relatively slow speed, and usually disappearing without a detonation. </DL>
<A NAME="ballmill">
<B>ball mill,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a crushing and grinding machine that consists principally of a cylinder rotating on its side and containing metal balls or round stones. </DL>
<A NAME="balloffire">
<B>ball of fire,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S. Slang.) an exceptionally dynamic person; live wire. <BR> <I>Ex. He was certainly no ball of fire at those points where leadership was called for (New Yorker).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="ballon">
<B>ballon, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (French.) <DD><B> 1. </B>the ability of a ballet dancer to give the impression that he remains in the air for a considerable time, as if soaring, during a jump. <DD><B> 2. </B>a large, almost round brandy glass. </DL>
<B>ballonet, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a small bag inside a balloon or airship that holds air or gas to regulate ascent or descent. </DL>
<A NAME="balloon">
<B>balloon, </B>noun, verb, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>an airtight bag filled with heated air or some gas lighter than air so that it will rise and float in air. Some balloons have a basket or container for carrying persons or instruments high up into the air. <BR> <I>Ex. A balloon is essentially a body of which the average density is less than that of the surrounding air, and so it rises upwards to the less dense upper atmosphere (Herz and Tennent).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a child's toy made of thin rubber filled with air or some gas lighter than air. <BR> <I>Ex. The cat popped the balloon as she caught it with her claws.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a circled or boxed space in a cartoon in which the words of a speaker are written. <DD><B> 4. </B>a large, globular, glass vessel with one or more short necks, used in chemistry. <DD><B> 5. </B><B>=ballon </B>(def. 2). <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1a. </B>to swell out like a balloon. <BR> <I>Ex. The sails of the boat ballooned in the wind.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>to grow or increase rapidly and greatly. <BR> <I>Ex. Prices ... at least aren't ballooning (Newsweek).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to ride in a balloon. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to puff (something) out or cause to be inflated like a balloon. <DD><B> 2. </B>to make greater in size, number, etc.. <BR> <I>Ex. The present one-story structure is to be "ballooned" to ten stories (New York Times).</I> <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>of or having to do with a balloon. <BR> <I>Ex. a balloon ascent, balloon performance.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>made from or using a balloon. <BR> <I>Ex. balloon launched rockets, a balloon satellite.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>resembling a balloon, especially in shape. <BR> <I>Ex. a balloon explosion.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Commerce.) having to do with or providing for low periodic payments of a debt followed by a large or greatly inflated final payment. <BR> <I>Ex. a balloon note, loan, or mortgage, balloon payments.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>like a lead ballon,</B> </I>without the slightest effect. <BR> <I>Ex. His poor joke went over like a lead balloon.</I> noun <B>ballooner.</B> adj. <B>balloonlike.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="balloonastronomy">
<B>balloon astronomy,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the use of high-altitude balloons equipped with telescopes to obtain photographs of the sun, planets, or other heavenly bodies, and to gather other astronomical data. </DL>
<A NAME="balloonbarrage">
<B>balloon barrage,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an antiaircraft screen consisting of barrage balloons. </DL>
<A NAME="balloonfish">
<B>balloonfish, </B>noun, pl. <B>-fishes</B> or (collectively) <B>-fish =globefish.</B></DL>
<A NAME="ballooning">
<B>ballooning, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the art of operating a balloon. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Medicine.) the stretching of any cavity of the body by filling it with air. <DD><B> 3. </B>the movement of a spider which rises in the air and floats on its own silk threads with the wind's action. </DL>
<A NAME="balloonist">
<B>balloonist, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person who goes up in a balloon or in balloons. <DD><B> 2. </B>the pilot of a dirigible balloon. </DL>
<A NAME="balloonjib">
<B>balloon jib,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a large, triangular sail of light canvas used by yachts instead of the ordinary jib when winds are light. </DL>
<A NAME="balloonplatform">
<B>balloon platform,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a platform, carried aloft by a balloon or balloons, from which rockets are launched. </DL>
<A NAME="balloonsail">
<B>balloon sail,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various large, light sails used by yachts in light breezes, such as the balloon jib. </DL>
<A NAME="balloontire">
<B>balloon tire,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a large tire containing air under low pressure, for lessening the shock of bumps. </DL>
<A NAME="balloonvine">
<B>balloon vine,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a tropical climbing plant of the soapberry family, with large, three-celled, bladderlike pods. </DL>
<A NAME="ballot">
<B>ballot, </B>noun, verb, <B>-loted,</B> <B>-loting.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a piece of paper or other object used in secret voting. <BR> <I>Ex. Have you cast your ballot? The ballot is stronger than the bullet (Abraham Lincoln).</I> <DD><B> 2a. </B>the method of secret voting by means of paper slips, voting machines, or other devices. <BR> <I>Ex. The results of a ballot determined the winner of the race for mayor.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>the right to vote. <BR> <I>Ex. to gain the ballot.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>the total number of votes cast. <DD><B> 4. </B>(in New Zealand and certain other countries) the machinery and process of selection for military service; conscription. <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to vote or decide by using ballots. <BR> <I>Ex. We will ballot for president of the club.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to select by lot; draw lots (for). <BR> <I>Ex. The racers balloted for places by drawing straws.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to select by drawing of lots for. </DL>
