The difference between Ball and Lay
When used as nouns, ball means a quantity of string, thread, etc., wound into a spherical shape, whereas lay means arrangement or relationship.
When used as verbs, ball means to form or wind into a ball, whereas lay means to place down in a position of rest, or in a horizontal position.
Ball is also interjection with the meaning: an appeal by the crowd for holding the ball against a tackled player. this is heard almost any time an opposition player is tackled, without regard to whether the rules about "prior opportunity" to dispose of the ball are fulfilled.
Lay is also adjective with the meaning: non-professional.
check bellow for the other definitions of Ball and Lay
-
Ball as a noun (ballistics):
A solid or hollow sphere, or part thereof. A quantity of string, thread, etc., wound into a spherical shape. A solid, spherical nonexplosive missile for a cannon, etc. # A jacketed non-expanding bullet, typically of military origin. # Such bullets collectively. #* 1659, , England's Confusion, London, p.7,[http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A69468.0001.001] #*: the Good Old Cause, which, as they seemed to represent it, smelt of Gunpowder and ball #* 1719, , , London: W. Taylor, p.294,[http://name.umdl.umich.edu/004845034.0001.000] #*: I gave each of them a Musket with a Firelock on it, and about eight Charges of Powder and Ball, charging them to be very good Husbands of both, and not to use either of them but upon urgent Occasion. #* 1803, , The History of the Maroons, London: Longman and Rees, Volume 1, Letter 5, p.148,[https://archive.org/details/cihm_44228] #*: some headstrong Maroons were using a soldier of Captain Craskell's ill, and compelling him to write to his commander, that it was too late to do any thing good, and that they wanted nothing, having got plenty of powder and ball A roundish protuberant portion of some part of the body. The front of the bottom of the foot, just behind the toes. The globe; the earthly sphere. The set of points in a metric space lying within a given distance (the radius) of a given point; specifically, the homologue of the disk in a Euclidean space of any number of dimensions. The set of points in a topological space lying within some open set containing a given point; the analogue of the disk in a Euclidean space. An object, generally spherical, used for playing games.
Examples:
"a ball of spittle; a fecal ball'"
"a ball of wool; a ball of twine"
"the ball of the thumb; the ball of the foot"
-
Ball as a noun (sport):
A round or ellipsoidal object. Any simple game involving a ball. A pitch that falls outside of the strike zone. An opportunity to launch the pinball into play. A single delivery by the bowler, six of which make up an over. A pass; a kick of the football towards a teammate.
Examples:
"The children were playing ball on the beach."
"The children were playing ball in the garden."
"If you get to a million points, you get another ball."
-
Ball as a noun (mildly, vulgar, slang, usually in plural):
A testicle. Nonsense. Courage.
Examples:
"That’s a load of balls, and you know it!"
"I doubt he’s got the balls to tell him off."
-
Ball as a noun (printing, historical):
A leather-covered cushion, fastened to a handle called a ballstock; formerly used by printers for inking the form, then superseded by the roller.
-
Ball as a noun (farriery, historical):
A large pill, a form in which medicine was given to horses; a bolus.
Examples:
"rfquotek White"
-
Ball as a verb (transitive):
To form or wind into a ball.
Examples:
"to ball cotton"
-
Ball as a verb (metalworking):
To heat in a furnace and form into balls for rolling.
-
Ball as a verb (transitive, vulgar):
To have sexual intercourse with.
-
Ball as a verb (ambitransitive):
To gather balls which cling to the feet, as of damp snow or clay; to gather into balls.
Examples:
"The horse balls; the snow balls."
-
Ball as a verb (slang, usually in present participle):
To be hip or cool.
-
Ball as a verb (nonstandard, slang):
To play basketball.
-
Ball as a noun:
A formal dance.
-
Ball as a noun (informal):
A very enjoyable time.
Examples:
"I had a ball at that concert."
-
Lay as a verb (transitive):
To place down in a position of rest, or in a horizontal position.
Examples:
"to lay a book on the table; to lay a body in the grave"
"A shower of rain lays the dust."
"A corresponding intransitive version of this word is [[lie#Etymology_1 lie]]."
-
Lay as a verb (transitive, archaic):
To cause to subside or abate.
-
Lay as a verb (transitive):
To prepare (a plan, project etc.); to set out, establish (a law, principle).
-
Lay as a verb (transitive):
To install certain building materials, laying one thing on top of another.
Examples:
"lay brick; lay flooring"
-
Lay as a verb (transitive):
To produce and deposit an egg.
-
Lay as a verb (transitive):
To bet (that something is or is not the case).
Examples:
"I'll lay that he doesn't turn up on Monday."
-
Lay as a verb (transitive):
To deposit (a stake) as a wager; to stake; to risk.
-
Lay as a verb (transitive, slang):
To have sex with.
-
Lay as a verb (nautical):
To take a position; to come or go.
Examples:
"to lay forward; to lay aloft"
-
Lay as a verb (legal):
To state; to allege.
Examples:
"to lay the venue"
"rfquotek Bouvier"
-
Lay as a verb (military):
To point; to aim.
Examples:
"to lay a gun"
-
Lay as a verb (ropemaking):
To put the strands of (a rope, a cable, etc.) in their proper places and twist or unite them.
Examples:
"to lay a cable or rope"
-
Lay as a verb (printing):
To place and arrange (pages) for a form upon the imposing stone.
-
Lay as a verb (printing):
To place (new type) properly in the cases.
-
Lay as a verb:
To apply; to put.
-
Lay as a verb:
To impose (a burden, punishment, command, tax, etc.).
Examples:
"to lay a tax on land"
-
Lay as a verb:
To impute; to charge; to allege.
-
Lay as a verb:
To present or offer.
Examples:
"to lay an indictment in a particular county; to lay a scheme before one"
-
Lay as a noun:
Arrangement or relationship; layout.
Examples:
"the lay of the land"
-
Lay as a noun:
A share of the profits in a business.
-
Lay as a noun:
A lyrical, narrative poem written in octosyllabic couplets that often deals with tales of adventure and romance.
-
Lay as a noun:
The direction a rope is twisted.
Examples:
"Worm and parcel with the lay; turn and serve the other way."
-
Lay as a noun (colloquial):
A casual sexual partner.
Examples:
"What was I, just another lay you can toss aside as you go on to your next conquest?"
-
Lay as a noun (colloquial):
An act of sexual intercourse.
-
Lay as a noun (slang, archaic):
A plan; a scheme.
Examples:
"rfquotek Charles Dickens"
-
Lay as a noun:
the laying of eggs.
Examples:
"The hens are off the lay at present."
-
Lay as a noun (obsolete):
A layer.
-
Lay as a noun:
A lake.
-
Lay as an adjective:
Non-professional; not being a member of an organized institution.
-
Lay as an adjective:
Not belonging to the clergy, but associated with them.
Examples:
"They seemed more lay than clerical."
"a lay preacher; a lay brother"
-
Lay as an adjective (obsolete):
Not educated or cultivated; ignorant.
-
Lay as a verb:
when pertaining to position.
Examples:
"The baby lay in its crib and slept silently."
-
Lay as a verb (proscribed):
To be in a horizontal position; to lie (from confusion with lie).
-
Lay as a noun:
A ballad or sung poem; a short poem or narrative, usually intended to be sung.
-
Lay as a noun (obsolete):
A meadow; a lea.
Examples:
"rfquotek Dryden"
-
Lay as a noun (obsolete):
A law.
-
Lay as a noun (obsolete):
An obligation; a vow.
-
Lay as a verb (Judaism, transitive):
To don or put on (tefillin ).