Domestic Encyclopædia (1802)/Ball

BALL, in a general sense, is a round or spherical body, whether formed by nature or art. Thus the terraqueous globe which we inhabit, appears to have assumed that form, in consequence of the revolutions round its own axis, not unlike a mass of clay, when turned in a circular direction.

But as the term "Ball" is used in a great variety of significations, we can here introduce only those few, where it is applied to economical purposes: hence we shall take no notice of fire-balls, light-balls, smoke-balls, stink-balls, sky-balls, water-bails, land-balls, &c.