Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary полностью

Ballot comes from Italian ballotta meaning 'little ball'. In medieval Venice, people voted by dropping black or white stones or balls into a box.

ba l|lot box (ballot boxes )

1 N‑COUNT A ballot box is the box into which ballot papers are put after people have voted.

2 N‑SING You can refer to the system of democratic elections as the ballot box . □  Martinez expressed confidence of victory at the ballot box.

ba l|lot pa|per (ballot papers ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] A ballot paper is a piece of paper on which you indicate your choice or opinion in an election or ballot.

ba l|lot rig|ging also ballot-rigging N‑UNCOUNT Ballot rigging is the act of illegally changing the result of an election by producing a false record of the number of votes. □  The poll was widely discredited after allegations of ballot rigging.

ball|park /bɔː lpɑː ^r k/ (ballparks ) also ball park

1 N‑COUNT A ballpark is a park or stadium where baseball is played.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] A ballpark figure or ballpark estimate is an approximate figure or estimate. □  I can't give you anything more than just sort of a ballpark figure. □  Ballpark estimates indicate a price tag of $90 million a month.

3 N‑SING If something such as an amount or claim is in the ballpark , it is approximately right, but not exact. [INFORMAL ] □  What about 20 billion? That's more in the ballpark.

4 N‑SING If you say that someone or something is in the ballpark , you mean that they are able to take part in a particular area of activity, especially because they are considered as good as others taking part. □  This puts them in the ballpark and makes them a major player.

ball|player /bɔː lple I ə ^r / (ballplayers ) also ball player N‑COUNT A ballplayer is a baseball player. [AM ]

ball|point /bɔː lpɔ I nt/ (ballpoints ) N‑COUNT A ballpoint or a ballpoint pen is a pen with a very small metal ball at the end which transfers the ink from the pen onto a surface.

ball|room /bɔː lruːm/ (ballrooms ) N‑COUNT A ballroom is a very large room that is used for dancing.

ba ll|room da nc|ing N‑UNCOUNT Ballroom dancing is a type of dancing in which a man and a woman dance together using fixed sequences of steps and movements.

balls /bɔː lz/ (ballses , ballsing , ballsed )

1 N‑UNCOUNT If you say that someone has balls , you mean that they have courage. [INFORMAL , RUDE , APPROVAL ] □  I never had the balls to do anything like this.

2 EXCLAM ; N‑UNCOUNT You can say ' balls ' or say that what someone says is balls when you think that it is stupid or wrong. [BRIT , INFORMAL , VERY RUDE , FEELINGS ] □  What complete and utter balls!

▸  balls up PHRASAL VERB If you balls up a task or activity, you do it very badly, making a lot of mistakes. [BRIT , INFORMAL , RUDE ] □ [V P n] You have single-handedly ballsed up the best opportunity we've had! □ [V n P ] I have no intention of letting you balls it up. [Also V P ]

ba lls-up (balls-ups ) N‑COUNT If you make a balls-up of something, you do it very badly and make a lot of mistakes. [BRIT , INFORMAL , RUDE ] □  He's made a real balls-up of this.

ballsy /bɔː lzi/ (ballsier , ballsiest ) ADJ You can describe a person or their behaviour as ballsy if you admire them because you think they are energetic and brave. [INFORMAL , APPROVAL ] □  …the most ballsy woman I know. □  …ballsy, gutsy live rap music.

bal|ly|hoo /bæ lihuː , [AM ] -huː/ (ballyhooing , ballyhooed )

1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft a N ] You can use ballyhoo to refer to great excitement or anger about something, especially when you disapprove of it because you think it is unnecessary or exaggerated. [DISAPPROVAL ] □  They announced, amid much ballyhoo, that they had made a breakthrough.