koosh ball

noun

A toy ball made of rubber filaments radiating from a steel-bound core, available in a variety of color combinations.

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Meanings

nounkoosh ball (plural koosh balls)

plural koosh balls · alternative Koosh ball

  1. A toy ball made of rubber filaments radiating from a steel-bound core, available in a variety of color combinations.
    1 more example

    In addition to the cognitive component, therapies often also include a behavioral or habit reversal component […]. These can include strategies like squeezing a koosh ball instead of knuckle-cracking, pulling in the chin to avoid chronic head-nodding or getting rid of magnifying mirrors to prevent face-picking.

    2017 September 14, Kate Murphy, “Are You a Hair-Twirler, Nail-Biter or Knuckle-Cracker?”, in The New York Times

Origin

Brand name. Onomatopoeic; named by its developer Scott H. Stillinger after the sound it made when it landed in his hand.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

koosh ball. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/koosh%20ball

MLA

“koosh ball.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/koosh%20ball. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “koosh ball,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/koosh%20ball.

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