basketball

n. a game played by two teams of five players who try to score points by throwing a ball through a high net.

n. an athletic team sport, typically played on an indoor court, where points are scored by shooting a ball through a high hoop. Uncountable in this sense.

“He plays basketball with his friends at the park every Saturday morning.”

“Professional basketball requires a combination of explosive verticality, precise hand-eye coordination, and strategic spatial awareness during fast-break transitions.”

n. the large, usually orange ball used to play the game of basketball.

n. the spherical, inflated ball used in the sport of basketball, typically featuring a pebbled surface for grip. Countable in this sense.

“Can you pump some air into this basketball before we go to the court?”

“The coach carried a mesh bag containing six brand-new basketballs, each still smelling of fresh rubber and synthetic leather.”

v. to play the sport of basketball.

v. to engage in the activity of playing basketball. Intransitive and informal in register.

“We spent the whole afternoon basketballing behind the school.”

“After a long week of exams, the students spent their Friday evening basketballing at the local community centre to blow off steam.”

Informal

v. to throw something using the same motion you use when shooting a basketball.

v. to propel an object with a high, arching trajectory similar to a basketball shot.

“He crumpled the paper into a ball and basketballed it into the bin.”

“She casually basketballed her car keys across the room, landing them perfectly in the small decorative bowl on the sideboard.”

Informal