ball off

verb

To depart, especially quickly; to hurry away; to leave at a particular speed.

“The ship balled off at 12 knots.”

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Meanings

verbball off (third-person singular simple present balls off, present participle balling off, simple past and past participle balled off)

present singular third person balls off · participle present balling off · participle past balled off · past balled off

  1. datedslangTo depart, especially quickly; to hurry away; to leave at a particular speed.

    The ship balled off at 12 knots.

  2. archaicnauticalTo spin rope-yarns into balls, in preparation for making spun yarn.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
ball it off
Cite this entry
APA

ball off. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ball%20off

MLA

“ball off.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ball%20off. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ball off,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ball%20off.

Source: ball off on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.