Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary полностью

3 N‑SING You can use ball game to describe any situation or activity, especially one that involves competition. [JOURNALISM , SPOKEN ] □  Two of his biggest competitors are out of the ball game. ● PHRASE If you say that a situation is a new ball game , you mean that it is completely different from, or much more difficult than, the previous situation or any situation that you have experienced before. □  He finds himself faced with a whole new ball game.

ba ll girl (ball girls ) N‑COUNT In a tennis match, the ball girls pick up any balls that go into the net or off the court and throw them back to the players. In a baseball game, the ball girls are in charge of collecting the balls that are hit out of the field.

ball|gown /bɔː lgaʊn/ (ballgowns ) N‑COUNT A ballgown is a long dress that women wear to formal dances.

bal|lis|tic /bəl I st I k/

1 ADJ [ADJ n] Ballistic means relating to ballistics. □  …ballistic missiles. □  Ballistic tests have matched the weapons with bullets taken from the bodies of victims.

2 PHRASE If someone goes ballistic , they suddenly become very angry. [INFORMAL ] □  The singer went ballistic after one member of his band failed to show for a sound check.

3 PHRASE If something goes ballistic , it suddenly becomes very much greater or more powerful, often in a surprising or unwanted way. [INFORMAL ] □  August registrations have gone ballistic, accounting now for a quarter of the annual total.

bal|lis|tics /bəl I st I ks/ N‑UNCOUNT Ballistics is the study of the movement of objects that are shot or thrown through the air, such as bullets fired from a gun.

bal|loon /bəluː n/ (balloons , ballooning , ballooned )

1 N‑COUNT A balloon is a small, thin, rubber bag that you blow air into so that it becomes larger and rounder or longer. Balloons are used as toys or decorations.

2 N‑COUNT [oft by N ] A balloon is a large, strong bag filled with gas or hot air, which can carry passengers in a container that hangs underneath it. □  They are to attempt to be the first to circle the Earth non-stop by balloon.

3 VERB When something balloons , it increases rapidly in amount. □ [V ] Attendance has ballooned more than tenfold over the past 16 years. □ [V + to ] The budget deficit has ballooned to $25 billion.

bal|loon|ing /bəluː n I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Ballooning is the sport or activity of flying a hot-air balloon.

bal|loon|ist /bəluː n I st/ (balloonists ) N‑COUNT A balloonist is a person who flies a hot-air balloon.

bal|lot ◆◇◇ /bæ lət/ (ballots , balloting , balloted )

1 N‑COUNT [oft by N ] A ballot is a secret vote in which people select a candidate in an election, or express their opinion about something. □  The result of the ballot will not be known for two weeks. □  Fifty of its members will be elected by direct ballot.

2 N‑COUNT A ballot is a piece of paper on which you indicate your choice or opinion in a secret vote. □  Election boards will count the ballots by hand.

3 VERB If you ballot a group of people, you find out what they think about a subject by organizing a secret vote. □ [V n] The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike. ●  bal|lot|ing N‑UNCOUNT □  International observers say the balloting was fair. SYNONYMS ballot NOUN 1

vote:Why do you think we should have a vote on that?

election:The final election results will be announced on Friday.

poll:In 1945, Winston Churchill was defeated at the polls.

referendum:Estonia said it too planned to hold a referendum on independence. WORD HISTORY ballot