Ball
(Ball), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Balled (b&addld); p. pr. & vb. n. Balling.] To gather balls which cling
to the feet, as of damp snow or clay; to gather into balls; as, the horse balls; the snow balls.
Ball
(Ball), v. t.
1. (Metal.) To heat in a furnace and form into balls for rolling.
2. To form or wind into a ball; as, to ball cotton.
Ball
(Ball), n. [F. bal, fr. OF. baler to dance, fr. LL. ballare. Of uncertain origin; cf. Gr. ba`llein to toss
or throw, or pa`llein, pa`llesqai, to leap, bound, balli`zein to dance, jump about; or cf. 1st Ball, n.] A
social assembly for the purpose of dancing.
Ballad
(Bal"lad) n. [OE. balade, OF. balade, F. ballade, fr. Pr. ballada a dancing song, fr. ballare
to dance; cf. It. ballata. See 2d Ball, n., and Ballet.] A popular kind of narrative poem, adapted
for recitation or singing; as, the ballad of Chevy Chase; esp., a sentimental or romantic poem in short
stanzas.
Ballad
(Bal"lad), v. i. To make or sing ballads. [Obs.]
Ballad
(Bal"lad), v. t. To make mention of in ballads. [Obs.]
Ballade
(Bal*lade") n. [See Ballad, n.] A form of French versification, sometimes imitated in English,
in which three or four rhymes recur through three stanzas of eight or ten lines each, the stanzas concluding
with a refrain, and the whole poem with an envoy.
Ballader
(Bal"lad*er) n. A writer of ballads.
Ballad monger
(Bal"lad mon`ger) [See Monger.] A seller or maker of ballads; a poetaster. Shak.
Balladry
(Bal"lad*ry) n. [From Ballad, n.] Ballad poems; the subject or style of ballads. "Base balladry
is so beloved." Drayton.
Ballahoo
(Bal"la*hoo, Bal"la*hou) n. A fast-sailing schooner, used in the Bermudas and West Indies.
Ballarag
(Bal"la*rag) v. t. [Corrupted fr. bullirag.] To bully; to threaten. [Low] T. Warton.
Ballast
(Bal"last) n. [D. ballast; akin to Dan. baglast, ballast, OSw. barlast, Sw. ballast. The first
part is perh. the same word as E. bare, adj.; the second is last a burden, and hence the meaning a
bare, or mere, load. See Bare, a., and Last load.]
1. (Naut.) Any heavy substance, as stone, iron, etc., put into the hold to sink a vessel in the water to
such a depth as to prevent capsizing.
2. Any heavy matter put into the car of a balloon to give it steadiness.
3. Gravel, broken stone, etc., laid in the bed of a railroad to make it firm and solid.
4. The larger solids, as broken stone or gravel, used in making concrete.
5. Fig.: That which gives, or helps to maintain, uprightness, steadiness, and security.
It [piety] is the right ballast of prosperity.
Barrow.
Ballast engine, a steam engine used in excavating and for digging and raising stones and gravel for
ballast. — Ship in ballast, a ship carrying only ballast.
