Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
"BALLS" is a plural of: ball. |
Date "BALLS" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1386. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Literature | Balls The three golden balls. The emblem of St. Nicholas, who is said to have given three purses of gold to three virgin sisters to enable them to marry. As the cognisance of the Medici family they probably represent three golden pills - a punning device on the name. Be this, however, as it may, it is from the Lombard family (the first great moneylenders in England) that the sign has been appropriated by pawnbrokers. (See Mugello for another account.). Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Mining | A. Common name for nodules, esp. of ironstone b. In fine grinding, crushing bodies used in a ball mill. Cast or forged iron or steel, or alloy of iron with molybdenum or nickel, are used,mainly spherical; various other shapes are favored locally, e.g., concave. e.g., concave. (references) |
Multilingual Slang | Czech (koule), Esperanto (kojonoj), Finnish (pallit), French (couilles), German (Sack, der), Greek (arhidi), Hindi (gote), Italian (coglioni, palle), Polish (jajca, jajka), Russian (muda), Spanish (cojones , pelotas), Swiss German (schällä ). (references) |
Slang | Testicles, to have sex. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
In baseball, any pitch at which the batter does not swing, and which, in the opinion of the umpire, is not in the strike zone is called a ball. A batter who receives four balls in an at bat is entitled to a base on balls.
- See also : Baseball statistics
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Ball (baseball statistics)."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
The testicles, known medically as testes (singular testis), are the male generative glands in animals. In mammals, the testicles are paired bodies that are contained within a pouch termed the scrotum.Like the ovaries to which they are homologous, testicles are members of both the reproductive system (being gonads - see sex organs) and the endocrine system (being endocrine glands). The respective functions of the testicles are:
Under a tough fibrous shell, the tunica albuginea, the testis contains very fine coiled tubes called the seminiferous tubules. The tubes are lined with a layer of cells that from puberty until old-age produce sperm cells. The seminiferous tubules lead to the epididymis, where newly created sperm cells mature, and then into vas deferens (also called the ductus deferens) that opens into the urethra. During sexual intercourse, the sperm cells move through the ejaculatory duct and into the prostatic urethra, where the prostate, through muscular contractions, ejaculates the sperm, mixed with other fluids, out through the penis.
- producing sperm (spermatozoa)
- producing male sex hormones - mainly testosterone
Between the seminiferous tubules are special cells called interstitial cells (Leydig cells) where testosterone and other androgens are formed.
The testicles are well-known to be very sensitive to impact and injury. This has been a rich source of humor for jokes and comedic routines.
The most important diseases of testicles are:
If a testicle is medically removed (orchidectomy) or destroyed through disease or injury, testicular prostheses are available to mimic the appearance and feel of the missing testicle.
- inflammation of the testicles, called orchitis
- testicular cancer and other neoplasms
- hydrocele
- inflammation of the epididymis, called epididymitis
- spermatic cord torsion also called testicular torsion
- varicocele
Both components of the testicle, sperm-forming and endocrine, are under control of gonadotropic hormones - lutenizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), that are produced by the anterior pituitary.
See also:
- cryptorchismus
- infertility
- sterilization (vasectomy)
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Testicle."
Crosswords: BALLS |
| English words defined with "BALLS": base on balls ♦ Friction balls ♦ Golden balls. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "BALLS": felter, tennis balls ♦ Rupert's Balls ♦ TO BISHOP the balls. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "BALLS": Quincunx. (references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Marco can you get your balls off me (American Pie 2; writing credit: Adam Herz; David H. Steinberg) With all due respect, M, I don't think you have the balls for this (Tomorrow Never Dies; writing credit: Bruce Feirstein) If it is not done by sunrise, I'll cut your balls off. (Life of Brian; writing credit: Graham Chapman; John Cleese) If I'm gonna get my balls blown off for a word, my word is poontang (Full Metal Jacket; writing credit: Gustav Hasford; Michael Herr) The men on the side of ya are your balls. There are two types of balls (Snatch.; writing credit: Guy Ritchie) | |
Lyrics | Goodness gracious great balls of fire ("Great Balls of Fire"; performing artist: Jerry Lee Lewis) Can't catch the balls then ya in the wrong league (Fatty Girl; performing artist: Ludacris) I go to the balls and then ring the bell ("Rapper's Delight"; performing artist: Sugarhill Gang) Here you vibe and you balls with the big cat (Firm All Stars; performing artist: The Firm) If I had balls I'd tell you get away from me (Dear Lie; performing artist: TLC) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Balls Bluff (1961) Codfish Balls (1930) Balls Deep 5 (2002) Jingle Balls (1996) Balls Out (1993) | |
Song Titles | GREAT BALLS OF FIRE (performing artist: Jerry Lee Lewis ) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
References | |||
Books |
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Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | A crayfish home along a Calvert County stream. Crayfish use mud balls to create towers over their holes along freshwater streams. Credit: America's Coastlines. |  | The triangular cones are daymarks to indicate vessel is fishing. The orange balls are floats. Credit: Fisheries. |
 | Physical Therapy Department, Deshon General Hospital, Butler, Pennsylvania : Use of rubber balls and sponges for the exercise of forearm muscles. Credit: National Library of Medicine. |  | The balls are rolling--clear the track. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Father Time receiving balls from 1923 and 1924 cherubs around the word "Life". Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Bessie did a juggling act with coloured balls. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | W.O. Young seated on tractor, with screen built around his seat for protection against golf balls, on the Lincoln Park Golf Course, Chicago, Illinois. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Balls used in ballmill at gold mine, Mogollon, New Mexico. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
 |  |
| "New York Christmas balls" by Martijn Hoes Commentary: "Some huge Christmas balls lying in the water in Manhatten, New York." | "Small balls" by Martin Figari Commentary: "Object that rolls in the wall." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Play | Caption |
 | Lottery balls being churned in the bin. |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Emma | Austen, Jane | They ought to have balls there at least every fortnight through the winter |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | About this hill the balls ricocheted over the paved road up to Napoleon |
Grapes of Wrath | Steinbeck, John | Ruthie lined up two balls and hit both of them, and she turned her back on the watching eyes, and then turned back |
Walden | Thoreau, Henry David | Only they who go to soirees and legislative balls must have new coats, coats to change as often as the man changes in them |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | Within several days of traumatic brain or spinal cord injury, grossly swollen axons, termed "reactive swellings" or "retraction balls," appear. (references) | |
Viruses appear to be shaped like balls, cubes, or rods. Scientists differ over whether viruses are "alive" or not. Viruses cannot digest food or grow on their own. Viruses can make more of themselves, but they need to live inside the cells of other organisms (called "hosts") to multiply. (references) | ||
Business | Precept, Titleist and Top Flite are top sellers of golf balls. (references) | |
Schools and universities are the primary market for soccer balls. (references) | ||
The market for golf clubs, balls, and bags moves $8 million annually. (references) | ||
Worker Rights | Pakistan | Saga Sports, which also manufactures soccer balls, has built modern community-based facilities in 10 villages with a high percentage of family stitching operations. (references) |
Pakistan | This project, based in Sialkot, monitors the production of soccer balls at established stitching centers, and set up as many as 185 rehabilitation centers to educate former child laborers and their younger siblings. (references) | |
Pakistan | Despite the success of these programs, exporters of soccer balls from Sialkot state that implementing child labor reforms has increased their production costs, making their products less competitive in the world market. (references) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Phrase(s) |
Dennis Miller | I've spoken to God, and he doesn't want you to cut off your balls. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| "BALLS" is generally used as a noun (plural) -- approximately 96.73% of the time. "BALLS" is used about 1,525 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (plural) | 96.73% | 1,475 | 5,500 |
| Noun (proper) | 3.21% | 49 | 48,677 |
| Lexical Verb (-s form) | 0.07% | 1 | 339,140 |
| Total | 100.00% | 1,525 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes the usage of "BALLS" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified. |
| Name | Usage/Gender | Usage per 100 million Persons | Rank in USA |
| Balls | Last name | 1,000 | 15,928 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits. | |||
Expressions using "BALLS": balls up ♦ base on balls ♦ Friction balls ♦ Golden balls ♦ three balls ♦ Three golden balls ♦ To nurse billiard balls ♦ to the balls touch? ♦ witch balls. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "BALLS": Balls-out, balls-up, balls-ups. | |
Ending with "BALLS": billiard-balls, cannon-balls, no-balls. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "BALLS"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Chinese | 球 (Ball, balls-up). (various references) | |
Czech | blbost (bull, bunk, crap, garbage, stupidity), pitomost (boob, idiocy, stuff, stupidity), hovadina (mug's game, tosh). (various references) | |
Danish | små filamentkugder (pilling, pills), pils (pilling, pills), pilling (pilling, pills), malelegeme (bars, grinding media, pebbles). (various references) | |
Dutch | ballen, maallichamen (bars, grinding media, pebbles), kogels. (various references) | |
Finnish | nypyt (pilling, pills), nyppyyntyminen (pilling, pills). (various references) | |
French | boulets, poires, petites boules d'un filé, couilles, corps broyants (bars, grinding balls), conneries. (various references) | |
German | Bälle (proms). (various references) | |
Greek | αρχίδια (cojones). (various references) | |
Hungarian | vőlegénybaj (blue balls), kielégítetlen szexuális vágy (blue balls), kangörcs (blue balls). (various references) | |
Italian | balli, sfere (bars, grinding media, pebbles), sassi (bars, grinding media, pebbles, rocks), palline di un filato (pilling, pills), palle (bars, grinding media, pebbles), corpi macinanti (bars, grinding media, pebbles), ciottoli (shingle), cilindretti (bars, grinding media, pebbles). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 球拾い (caddy, fetching balls), 球拾い (caddy, fetching balls), ボーデの法則 (ball, ball bearing, ball-point pen, baudon, bawling, board, board-level, boardsailing, boat neck, boat people, Bode's law, bold, bonus, Borden, boring, Boulder, bowl, bowling, count of balls and strikes, rowing boat, vaudeville, vaudevillian), 浮き足 (standing on the balls of the feet), 四球 (a walk, base on balls, four balls), 四死球 (four dead balls). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | たまひろい (caddy, fetching balls), ボールカウント (count of balls and strikes), ししきゅう (four dead balls, Leo, the Lion), しきゅう (a walk, allowance, base on balls, Emperor's coffin, four balls, hit a batter by pitching a ball, payment, pressing, urgent, uterus, womb), うきあし (standing on the balls of the feet). (various references) | |
Korean | 공 (Ball). (various references) | |
Pig Latin | allsbay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | bolas (briquette, ovoid). (various references) | |
Romanian | coaie. (various references) | |
Russian | яйца, решимость (dead, decision, determination), храбрость (bravery, courage, valiance, valiancy), отвага (doughtiness, intrepidity, prowess, stoutness). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | jaja. (various references) | |
Spanish | bolas (ivories), talegas (money), frisas (pilling, pills), elementos triturantes (bars, grinding media, pebbles), cojones (ballocks, bollocks, nuts). (various references) | |
Swedish | ballar (ballocks, knackers). (various references) | |
Turkish | taşaklar (bollocks, nuts, rocks, testes, testicles), saçma (absurd, applesauce, baloney, blind, boloney, bunk, bunkum, chimerical, claptrap, cockeyed, dissemination, eradiation, fantastic, fantastical, farcical, fatuous, fiddle, fiddle-de-dee, fiddlesticks, foolish, for the birds, froth, frothy, fudge, go on, hog-wash, hooey, impertinent, inane, incongruous, inept, irrational, jabber wocky, kibosh, laugh, malarkey, nonsense, nonsensical, outlandish, paltry, pointless, poppycock, raving, rhubarb, rot, scattering, senseless, shot, shucks, skittles, small shot, smearcase, sorry, spinach, stuff, tommyrot, tosh, trash, trifling, tripe, trivial, trumpery, unreasonable, wacky, waffle, whacky), hayalar (bollocks, nuts, testes, testicles). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "BALLS": ballsier, ballsiest, ballsy. (additional references) | |
Words ending with "BALLS": baseballs, basketballs, beanballs, blackballs, blowballs, blueballs, broomballs, buckyballs, butterballs, buttonballs, cannonballs, cornballs, curveballs, dodgeballs, eightballs, eyeballs, fastballs, fireballs, footballs, forkballs, goofballs, greaseballs, hairballs, handballs, hardballs, heelballs, highballs, kickballs, knuckleballs, lowballs, meatballs, mothballs, oddballs, paddleballs, pinballs, puffballs, punchballs, pushballs, racquetballs, screwballs, sleazeballs, slimeballs, snowballs, softballs, sourballs, speedballs, spitballs, stickballs, stoopballs, tetherballs, trackballs. (additional references) | |
| |
"BALLS" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: abljs, baals, Baelz, baillis, balds, Balil, balis, balla, Balle, balli, ballo, ballr, bals, Balslev, balsy, Balulise, Balz, bella, bels, belz, Bjallas. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "BALLS" (pronounced bô"lz) |
| 3 | -ô" l z | alls, appalls, befalls, brawls, calls, crawls, drawls, falls, galls, halls, hauls, installs, malls, Sauls, schmalz, shawls, smalls, sprawls, squalls, stalls, walls. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-b-l-l-s" | |
-1 letter: albs, alls, ball, bals, labs, sall, slab. | |
-2 letters: abs, alb, all, als, bal, bas, lab, las, sab, sal. | |
-3 letters: ab, al, as, ba, la. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-b-l-l-s" | |
+1 letter: ballsy, labels. | |
+2 letters: ballads, ballast, ballers, ballets, ballies, ballons, ballots, basally, befalls, begalls, labials, liblabs, losable, salable, salably, sawbill, syllabi. | |
+3 letters: allobars, bacillus, ballades, ballasts, ballista, balloons, ballsier, ballutes, barbells, barillas, baseball, bastille, blastula, bollards, brailles, bullaces, bullbats, callboys, closable, eyeballs, falbalas, fastball, gabelles, isolable, jellabas, labelers, lapsable, lapsible, leasable, liberals, listable, lobelias, lowballs, mislabel, oddballs, pinballs, pushball, relabels, rubellas, sailable, saleable, saleably, salvable, salvably, sawbills, scalable, scalably, sealable, sellable, sillabub, slablike, slakable, slidable, snowball, softball, solvable, sourball, spitball, syllabic, syllable, syllabub, syllabus, tallboys, tollbars, waxbills, waybills. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Crosswords 3. Usage: Modern 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Images: Slideshow 6. Images: Photo Album 7. Images: Digital Art 8. Sounds | 9. Quotations: Fiction 10. Quotations: Non-fiction 11. Quotations: Spoken 12. Usage Frequency | 13. Names: Frequency 14. Expressions 15. Translations: Modern 16. Derivations | 17. Rhymes 18. Anagrams 19. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
