Meanings
nountime ball (plural time balls)
plural time balls
- A large wooden or metal ball that drops at a predetermined time to enable sailors to check their marine chronometers from their boats offshore.
Cite this entry
APA
time ball. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/time%20ball
MLA
“time ball.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/time%20ball. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “time ball,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/time%20ball.
Source: time ball on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.