on the ball

O o

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [on, awn stressed th ee bawl]
- /ɒn, ɔn stressed ði bɔl/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [on, awn stressed th ee bawl]
- /ɒn, ɔn stressed ði bɔl/

Definitions of on the ball words

noun on the ball a spherical or approximately spherical body or shape; sphere: He rolled the piece of paper into a ball. 1
noun on the ball a round or roundish body, of various sizes and materials, either hollow or solid, for use in games, as baseball, football, tennis, or golf. 1
noun on the ball a game played with a ball, especially baseball: The boys are out playing ball. 1
noun on the ball Baseball. a pitched ball, not swung at by the batter, that does not pass over home plate between the batter's shoulders and knees. 1
noun on the ball Military. a solid, usually spherical projectile for a cannon, rifle, pistol, etc., as distinguished from a shell. projectiles, especially bullets, collectively. 1
noun on the ball any part of a thing, especially of the human body, that is rounded or protuberant: the ball of the thumb. 1

See all 29 definitions of on the ball

Information block about the term

Origin of on the ball

First appearance:

before 1175

One of the 8% oldest English words

1175-1225; Middle English bal, balle < Old French < Germanic *ballaz; compare Old Norse bǫllr, Old High German bal, ballo, balla, German Ball, Dutch bal; perhaps akin to Latin follis leather bag; see ballock(s)

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for On the ball

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of On the ball

on the ball popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 98% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

on the ball usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for on the ball

adj on the ball

a-ok — in perfect working order; excellent
adept — Someone who is adept at something can do it skilfully.
adroit — Someone who is adroit is quick and skilful in their thoughts, behaviour, or actions.
advertent — paying attention; heedful
alive to — fully aware of; perceiving

adjective on the ball

alert — If you are alert, you are paying full attention to things around you and are able to deal with anything that might happen.
clever — Someone who is clever is intelligent and able to understand things easily or plan things well.
enrapt — Fascinated; enthralled.
glued — Simple past tense and past participle of glue.
jazzed — music originating in New Orleans around the beginning of the 20th century and subsequently developing through various increasingly complex styles, generally marked by intricate, propulsive rhythms, polyphonic ensemble playing, improvisatory, virtuosic solos, melodic freedom, and a harmonic idiom ranging from simple diatonicism through chromaticism to atonality.

adverb on the ball

alive — If people or animals are alive, they are not dead.
awake — Someone who is awake is not sleeping.

All 52 Synonyms of on the ball