Dictionary

ball game en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈbɔːl ˌɡeɪm/
• /ˈbɑːl ɡɛɪːm/

Meanings

1. Any game played with a ball.
   • Basketball, cricket, and football are three kinds of ball game.
2. A specific contest or match between teams playing such a game, in particular a baseball game.
   • George and Harriet went to the stadium to see the ball game.
3. (historical) A sport played in the Aztec and Mayan civilizations; Mesoamerican ballgame.
   • The ball game was the main sport in Central America before the arrival of the Spanish.
4. (figuratively) Affair, issue, matter, subject, story, topic.
   • Think things over, Callahan. Get with it. It's a whole new ball game these days. 1983, Joseph Stinson, Sudden Impact (motion picture), spoken by Captain Briggs (Bradford Dillman):
5. (figuratively, slang) A decisive outcome in regard to some ongoing situation; game over.
   • If a U.S. presidential candidate receives 270 electoral votes, that's the ball game.

Forms

Translations (52)

is knattleikur (game played with a ball) · ru тла́чтли (Mesoamerican ballgame) · cmn 球類 /球类 (game played with a ball) · cmn 球賽 /球赛 (specific match) · bg топката игра (game played with a ball) · da boldspil (game played with a ball) · fr problème (affair, issue) · fi pallopeli (Mesoamerican ballgame) · es juego de pelota (game played with a ball) · ja 球技 (game played with a ball) · vo glöpäd (game played with a ball) · fi palloilulaji (game played with a ball) · fi pallopeli (game played with a ball) · pt jogo de bola (Mesoamerican ballgame) · fr sujet (affair, issue) · ro joc cu mingea (game played with a ball) · pt jogo de bola (specific match) · ru игра́ с мячо́м (game played with a ball) · hu labdajáték (game played with a ball) · nl balspel (game played with a ball) · fi asia (affair, issue) · cmn 事情 (affair, issue) · gl xogo de pelota (game played with a ball) · nn ballspel (game played with a ball) · fi peli (specific match) · ru матч (specific match) · ca esport de pilota (game played with a ball) · ko 구기 (game played with a ball) · pt jogo de bola (game played with a ball) · fi ottelu (specific match) · fr jeu de balle (Mesoamerican ballgame) · nb ballspill (game played with a ball) · fr question (affair, issue) · ja ボールゲーム (game played with a ball) · cs míčová hra (game played with a ball) · pt parada (affair, issue) · fi juttu (affair, issue) · de Ballspiel (game played with a ball) · cmn 中美洲蹴球 (Mesoamerican ballgame) · sq lojës topin (game played with a ball) · sv bollspel (game played with a ball) · ru игра́ (specific match) · fr jeu de ballon (game played with a ball) · eo pilkludo (game played with a ball) · is boltaíþrótt (game played with a ball) · id permainan bola (game played with a ball) · fr partie de ballon (specific match) · el παιχνίδι μπάλα (game played with a ball) · cmn 事 (affair, issue) · fi matsi (specific match) · lut ʔupups (game played with a ball) · sh lopta igra (game played with a ball)