noun
ball
A baseball pitch outside the strike zone that the batter does not swing at.
The umpire calls the low pitch a ball.
Etymology
Old Norse bollr named a round object. Baseball transfers the name of the object to a type of delivery, calling an unswung pitch outside the strike zone a ball.
More examples
- Four balls allowed the batter to walk.
- The count stood at two balls and one strike.
- He watched the outside pitch go by for a ball.
Forms
ball · balls
Similar words
- sphere
- A geometric solid rather than an object made for play.