ball off

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Meaning · English

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

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Rời đi, đặc biệt là nhanh chóng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Register: dated, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

The ship balled off at 12 knots.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

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

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Quấn chỉ thành hình cầu để chuẩn bị cho việc dệt

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Register: archaic

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “ball off” mean?

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

Is “ball off” formal or informal?

ball off is generally dated, slang.