[a. F. bal (= Pr. bal, It. ballo dancing), f. bal-er, ball-er to dance: see BALE v.1 (In Chapman and Shirley’s Ball (see sense 2) there was some punning reference to a golden ball worn by the presiding lady: see Gifford’s note.)]
† 1. A dance or dancing. Obs.
1633. H. Cogan, Pinto’s Voy., lxxix. 321. All of them together … danced a Ball to the tune of two Harps and a Viol.
2. A social assembly for the purpose of dancing; phrases, To give a ball, go to a ball; also, to open the ball, (fig.) to commence operations.
1632–9. Chapman & Shirley, Ball, IV. iii. L. Some malice has corrupted your opinion of what we call the Ball. W. Your dancing business?
1649. Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp., II. Add. xii. 93. Avoid carnivals and balls … the perdition of precious houres.
1679. Penn, Addr. Prot., 19. They had got a Calf of Gold, and were Dancing about it. But it was a Dismal Ball, and they paid dear for their Junket.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 466, ¶ 3. On Thursday next, I make a Ball for my Daughter.
1779. J. Moore, View Soc. Fr., 175. Count Finkenstein gave a great dinner and ball.
1812. Byron, Waltz, xiii., note. Waltz and the battle of Austerlitz are … said to have opened the ball together.
1841. Orderson, Creol., vi. 63. Miss Fairfield … was the first lady handed out to ‘open the ball.’
1863. Mary Howitt, trans. F. Bremer’s Greece, I. v. 146. I was very willing to see a royal ball at Athens.
3. With limiting attribute, a descriptive, as † ball-mask (= F. bal-masqué), ball-royal, calico-, dignity-, fancy-, masking-ball; b. indicating the object or occasion, as archery-, charity-, race-ball.
1672. Dryden, Marr. à la Mode, Prol. A masking ball, to recommend our play.
1770. Wilkes, Corr. (1805), IV. 36. You did not mention particularly about the ball-mask.
1833. Marryat, P. Simple (1863), 228. A dignity ball is a ball given by the most consequential of their coloured people.
a. 1847. Mrs. Sherwood, Lady of Manor, V. xxix. 70. It was the first dress-ball I had attended.
1849. Southey, Common-pl. Bk., Ser. II. 327. As great a performer in a ball-royal as himself.
1876. Geo. Eliot, Dan. Der., II. xi. The archery ball … was not an escapement for youthful high spirits.
4. attrib., as ball-dancing, -day, -dress, -room.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 431, ¶ 3. I then nibbled all the red Wax of our last Ball-Tickets.
1728. J. Essex (title), Dancing-Master … the manner of performing all steps in Ball Dancing.
1751. Smollett, Per. Pic. (1779), III. lxxvi. 26. The careful matron … on the ball-day feigned herself extremely ill.
1752. Johnson, Rambl., 201, ¶ 8. The play-house, the ball-room, or the card-table.
1875. Helen Mathers, Comin’ thro’ Rye, II. vii. How many yards of stuff an orthodox ample ball dress requires. Ibid. (1875), II. ix. Ball-room conversation is never expected to be very wise, is it?
