1 C1 informal
To separate a small round portion of a soft material from a larger mass.
"She balled off a small piece of dough and rolled it into a circle."
separable
ball off
C1 informal separable transitive
To roll or cause something to roll away from a surface or area in a ball-like motion.
In plain English
To make something roll away like a ball, or to separate a piece of material by rolling it.
What does "ball off" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To roll something off a surface in a ball shape — transparent.
Actually means
To make something roll away like a ball, or to separate a piece of material by rolling it.
Usage tip
Very rare in everyday usage. May appear in craft, cooking, or sports contexts. Not widely attested in standard dictionaries.
Words that pair with "ball off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
dough clay piece portion surface edge
How to conjugate "ball off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
ball off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
balls off
he/she/it
Past simple
balled off
yesterday
Past participle
balled off
have + pp
-ing form
balling off
continuous
Hear "ball off" in the wild
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Other ways to say "ball off"
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