[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

ball \ball\ baddl, n. oe. bal, balle; akin to ohg. balla,
   palla, g. ball, icel. b"ollr, 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.
      1913 webster

   2. a spherical body of any substance or size used to play
      with, as by throwing, knocking, kicking, etc.
      1913 webster

   3. a general name for games in which a ball is thrown,
      kicked, or knocked. see baseball, and football.
      1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster

   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      inking the form, but now superseded by the roller.
      1913 webster

   7. a roundish protuberant portion of some part of the body;
      as, the ball of the thumb; the ball of the foot.
      1913 webster

   8. far. a large pill, a form in which medicine is commonly
      given to horses; a bolus. --white.
      1913 webster

   9. the globe or earth. --pope.
      1913 webster

            move round the dark terrestrial ball. --addison.
      1913 webster

   10. baseball a pitched ball, not struck at by the batter,
       which fails to pass over the home plate at a height not
       greater than the batter's shoulder nor less than his knee
       i.e. it is outside the strike zone. if the pitcher
       pitches four balls before three strikes are called, the
       batter advances to first base, and the action of pitching
       four balls is called a walk.
       webster 1913 suppl. +pjc

   10. a testicle; usually used in the plural. vulgar
       pjc

   11. pl. courage; nerve. vulgar
       pjc

   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.

   on the ball alert; competent and knowledgeable.

   to carry the ball to carry on the task; to assume the
      responsibility.

   to drop the ball to fail to perform as expected; to fail to
      live up to a responsibility.
      1913 webster

   syn: see globe.
        1913 webster
see also:
bale pallmall baseball football bullets ball and socket joint 
ball bearings ball cartridge ball cock ball gudgeon ball lever 
ball of the eye ball valve ball vein three balls three golden balls 
on the ball to carry the ball to drop the ball globe 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

bearing \bear"ing\ b^ar"i^ng, n.
   1. the manner in which one bears or conducts one's self;
      mien; behavior; carriage.
      1913 webster

            i know him by his bearing.            --shak.
      1913 webster

   2. patient endurance; suffering without complaint.
      1913 webster

   3. the situation of one object, with respect to another, such
      situation being supposed to have a connection with the
      object, or influence upon it, or to be influenced by it;
      hence, relation; connection.
      1913 webster

            but of this frame, the bearings and the ties,
            the strong connections, nice dependencies. --pope.
      1913 webster

   4. purport; meaning; intended significance; aspect.
      1913 webster

   5. the act, power, or time of producing or giving birth; as,
      a tree in full bearing; a tree past bearing.
      1913 webster

            his mother in travail of his bearing. --r. of
                                                  gloucester.
      1913 webster

   6. arch.
      a that part of any member of a building which rests upon
          its supports; as, a lintel or beam may have four
          inches of bearing upon the wall.
      b the portion of a support on which anything rests.
      c improperly, the unsupported span; as, the beam has
          twenty feet of bearing between its supports.
          1913 webster

   7. mach.
      a the part of an axle or shaft in contact with its
          support, collar, or boxing; the journal.
      b the part of the support on which a journal rests and
          rotates.
          1913 webster

   8. her. any single emblem or charge in an escutcheon or
      coat of arms -- commonly in the pl.
      1913 webster

            a carriage covered with armorial bearings.
                                                  --thackeray.
      1913 webster

   9. naut.
      a the situation of a distant object, with regard to a
          ship's position, as on the bow, on the lee quarter,
          etc.; the direction or point of the compass in which
          an object is seen; as, the bearing of the cape was w.
          n. w.
      b pl. the widest part of a vessel below the plank-sheer.
      c pl. the line of flotation of a vessel when properly
          trimmed with cargo or ballast.
          1913 webster

   ball bearings. see under ball.

   to bring one to his bearings, to bring one to his senses.
      

   to lose one's bearings, to become bewildered.

   to take bearings, to ascertain by the compass the position
      of an object; to ascertain the relation of one object or
      place to another; to ascertain one's position by reference
      to landmarks or to the compass; hence fig., to ascertain
      the condition of things when one is in trouble or
      perplexity.
      1913 webster

   syn: deportment; gesture; mien; behavior; manner; carriage;
        demeanor; port; conduct; direction; relation; tendency;
        influence.
        1913 webster
see also:
ball bearings ball to bring one to his bearings to lose one's bearings to take bearings 

Ball Bearings >> B Words
Ball Bearings, definition of term: Ball Bearings
ball+bearings_pag1.html

Ball >> B Words
Ball, definition of term: Ball
ball_pag1.html

Ball Up >> B Words
Ball Up, definition of term: Ball Up
ball+up_pag1.html

Ball Valve >> B Words
Ball Valve, definition of term: Ball Valve
ball+valve_pag1.html

Ball Over >> B Words
Ball Over, definition of term: Ball Over
ball+over_pag1.html

Ball Field >> B Words
Ball Field, definition of term: Ball Field
ball+field_pag1.html

Ball Bearing >> B Words
Ball Bearing, definition of term: Ball Bearing
ball+bearing_pag1.html

Ball Game >> B Words
Ball Game, definition of term: Ball Game
ball+game_pag1.html

Australian Ball >> A Words
Australian Ball, definition of term: Australian Ball
australian+ball_pag1.html

Ball Of Fire >> B Words
Ball Of Fire, definition of term: Ball Of Fire
ball+of+fire_pag1.html