of dancers who work and perform ballet together MlU: members of the Royal Ballet bal let ic /bae'letik/ adj. (formal, approving) smooth and elegant, like a movement or a dancer in ballet

SUM;

'ball game noun 1 any game played with a ball is zft 2 (NAmE) a game of baseball # 3$ bk : Are you going to the ball game? {& A # 3$ He ^ ?

M a (whole) different/new 'ball game (informal) a completely different kind of situation ball-girl /'bo:lg3:l; NAmE -g3:rl/ noun a girl who picks up the balls for the players in a tennis match ( R|3$Hf# #A^3$W ) A3£l| —see also ballboy ball-hawk /'bailhoik/ noun (US, informal) a player who is good at getting or catching balls, especially in American football, baseball or basketball ( Xte

'ball hockey noun [u] (CanE) a version of ice hockey played on a hard surface without ice, and with a ball instead of a puck #itfc ft fI3$; #3tfe#C3£ bal listic /ba'listik/ adj. connected with ballistics # if ( # ) ; Alt IT7I77I go bal'listic (informal) to become very angry A ; H : He went ballistic when

i toid Mm.

ballistic 'missile noun a missile that is fired into the air at a particular speed and angle in order to fall in the right place #314#

bal listics /ba'listiks/ noun [U] the scientific study of things that are shot or fired through the air, such as bullets and missiles #31#; Alt# bal loon /ba'luin/ noun, verb

»noun 1 a small bag made of very thin rubber that becomes larger and rounder when you fill it with air or gas. Balloons are brightly coloured and used as decorations or toys. H 3$ : to blow up/burst/pop a

balloon oft ^2 n, 3£ ; {£ 3$ til Si — compare trial

balloon 2 (also hot-'air balloon) a large balloon made of strong material that is filled with hot air or gas to make it rise in the air, usually carrying a basket for passengers —picture o page Ri2 1771771 when

the balloon goes up (BrE, informal) when the trouble that you are expecting begins ( — more at lead²

■ verb [V] 1 ~ (out/up) to suddenly swell out or get bigger

( ) 8t£ Ik , A: Her skirt ballooned out in the

wind. A f.v 2 (usually go

ballooning) to travel in a hot-air balloon as a sport

bal loon ist /ba'luimst/ noun a person who travels in a balloon as a sport #

balloon tyre (BrE) (NAmE 'balloon tire) noun a large tyre containing air at low pressure, for travelling on surfaces that are soft or not even

balloon whisk noun a whisk that you hold in your hand, made of thin pieces of curved wire iffl

)

ballot /' baelat/ noun, verb

m noun 1 [U, C] the system of voting in writing and usually in secret; an occasion on which a vote is held ( AiB £ ) The chairperson is chosen by

secret ballot. 0 The

union cannot call a strike unless it holds a ballot of members. o note

at election 2 (BrE also ballot paper) [C] the piece of paper on which sb marks who they are voting for 3&

: What percentage of eligible voters cast their ballots ?

3 the balloting.] the total number of votes in an election ( 32s # ft¹ ) SiM: She won 58.8% of the ballot.

58.8%₀ — see also poll

■ verb 1 [VN] ~ sb (on sth) to ask sb to vote in writing and secretly about sth MA^A (

H771 poll : The union balloted its members on the

proposed changes.

c 2 [V] to vote secretly about sth 3ft fa A ifi £ S®: The workers balloted for a strike. XAHJi'SSX 3ft^AiE£&lCA&o