handball

plural handballs

1. A ball.
   1. countableuncountableA ball held in, or thrown with, the hand, especially one used for one of the various games in later senses, below.First known use 15th c.

      Cranly took a small grey handball from his pocket and began to examine it closely, turning it over and over.

      1916, James Joyce, chapter V, in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, New York, N.Y.: B[enjamin] W. Huebsch, →OCLC

   2. archaiccountableuncountableThe hollow rubber ball squeezed to produce spray from a perfume bottle or other atomizer.First known use 19th c.
2. A game.
   1. countableuncountableAny of various traditional ball games played outside between two goals often at a considerable distance from each other.First known use 15th c.
   2. countableuncountableAny of several games similar to fives, in which a ball is hit by the hand against a wall or within a walled court (the chief variants now being Gaelic handball and American handball).First known use 18th c.
   3. uncountableA sport played on a rectangular court between two teams of seven players each, using a small ball struck only with the hands; team handball.First known use 20th c.
   4. AustraliauncountableA schoolyard game in which a bouncy ball is struck with the hand, played on an improvised court on the asphalt or pavement.First known use 19th–20th c.
3. An action.
   1. countableAustralian rules footballAn act of passing a football by holding it with one hand and hitting it with the other.First known use 19th c.
   2. countableball gamesThe offence of a player other than the goalkeeper touching the ball with the hand or arm on the field during play.First known use 19th c.

      It was a dramatic finish to an absorbing, fast-paced game but Blackburn will be deeply unhappy with referee Anthony Taylor as Nzonzi's handball was harsh.

      2011 October 29, Neil Johnston, “Norwich 3 - 3 Blackburn”, in BBC Sport

present singular third person handballs · participle present handballing · participle past handballed · past handballed

1. transitiveTo manually load or unload a container, trailer, or to otherwise manually move bulk goods (often on pallets) from one type of transport receptacle to another.
2. ball gamesTo illegally touch the ball with the hand or arm.

   If the defender handballs in the penalty area, a penalty is awarded.

   Synonyms: handle

3. Australian rules footballTo (legally) pass a football by holding it with one hand and hitting it with the other.

   An obvious way in which football has changed over the last decade or two has been in the use of handballing.

   2005, Andrew McLeod, Trevor D. Jaques, Australian Football: Steps to Success, page 9

   2 more examples

   Meanwhile, you can introduce the basic concept of Aussie rules through a game like lineball, a lead-up game introduced in the basketball section of chapter 10, but with the ball handballed, not thrown.

   2001, Jerry R. Thomas, Alan G. Launder, Jack K. Nelson, Play Practice: The Games Approach to Teaching and Coaching Sports, page 111

   On only 8 occasions during the entire match did players who had marked the ball decide not to walk slowly and purposefully back and take their kick, but instead play on by handballing to a team mate.

   2009, John P. Devaney, Full Points Footy: Encyclopedia of Australian Football Clubs, page 246

4. AustraliaslangTo pass responsibility for a task or problem to someone else, often to avoid dealing with an undesirable task or a tricky question.

   I might handball that question to Dr Parkinson or somebody who has a better view of the morphology of the portfolio than I do.

   2006 February 15, Senator Brandis, Economics Legislation Committee Estimates (Senate), page 12

   3 more examples

   Now six months into the role I have come to learn that the boss’s idea of empowering and delegating is actually handballing or passing off tasks that they actually should be performing themselves.

   2022 August 26, Jonathan Rivett, “My boss is handballing rather than delegating tasks. What should I do?”, in The Sydney Morning Herald

   The shortage has taken time to develop and despite the government trying to handball' the problem to the states, it has happened on its watch.

   2005 March 17, Bob Hogg, “Paradox of the Howard era”, in Australian Financial Review

   I am finding that she's a difficult patient in more ways than one! for that reason I'll handball her off to our senior podiatrist if symptoms persist.

   2009 June 9, Matt Kimball, “Help with diagnosis and management of localised dorsal midfoot pain.”, in Podiatry Arena

   Synonyms: offload

5. slanglifestyleTo insert a hand into someone's anus.