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The Simple English Wikipedia has an article on:
ball is on the Basic English 850 List.
balance - ball - band


ball is one of the 1000 most common headwords.
balance - ball - bank

Pronunciation change


Noun change

Singular
ball

Plural
balls

 
Many colored balls
  1. (countable) A ball is a round thing. People often use them to play games.
    The croquet ball was hit through the wicket and the game was over.
    A ball is hit with a racquet in tennis.
  2. A ball is a formal dance.
    There is an inaugural ball following the swearing-in of the new President.
    Cinderella lost her glass slipper at the Prince's ball.
  3. (slang) (usually plural) the testicles
    John's balls ached because he hadn't had sex in two days.
  4. (slang) (usually plural) "guts", fortitude, moral strength
    John didn't have the balls to quit his job, divorce his wife, and start a new life in Tahiti.

Verb change

Plain form
ball

Third-person singular
balls

Past tense
balled

Past participle
balled

Present participle
balling

  1. (transitive) If you ball something up, you make it into a ball shape.
    Ball the cookie dough, wrap it in paper, then freeze it.
  2. (slang) sexual intercourse.