Magic 8 Ball

noun

A novelty toy manufactured by Mattel that is a plastic sphere resembling an oversized eight ball with a small digital screen on its opposite side that, when shaken, reveals a response to a yes or no question.

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Meanings

nounMagic 8 Ball (plural Magic 8 Balls)

plural Magic 8 Balls · alternative Magic Eight Ball · alternative Magic 8-Ball · alternative Magic 8-ball · alternative magic 8 ball · alternative magic eight ball · alternative magic 8-ball

  1. trademarkA novelty toy manufactured by Mattel that is a plastic sphere resembling an oversized eight ball with a small digital screen on its opposite side that, when shaken, reveals a response to a yes or no question.

Origin

From magic + eight-ball (“a billiard ball, almost always black, bearing the number eight”), due to the toy's design.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Magic 8 Ball. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Magic%208%20Ball

MLA

“Magic 8 Ball.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Magic%208%20Ball. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Magic 8 Ball,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Magic%208%20Ball.

Source: Magic 8 Ball on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.