BASKETBALL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does basketball mean? 

• BASKETBALL (noun)
  The noun BASKETBALL has 2 senses:

1. a game played on a court by two opposing teams of 5 players; points are scored by throwing the ball through an elevated horizontal hoop

2. an inflated ball used in playing basketball

  Familiarity information: BASKETBALL used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BASKETBALL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A game played on a court by two opposing teams of 5 players; points are scored by throwing the ball through an elevated horizontal hoop

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

basketball; basketball game; hoops

Hypernyms ("basketball" is a kind of...):

court game (an athletic game played on a court)

Meronyms (parts of "basketball"):

basketball shot (throwing the basketball toward the hoop)

rebound (the act of securing possession of the rebounding basketball after a missed shot)

tap-off; tip-off (the act of starting a basketball game with a jump ball)

half (one of two divisions into which some games or performances are divided: the two divisions are separated by an interval)

basketball play (a play executed by a basketball team)

Domain member category:

jump shot; jumper ((basketball) a player releases the basketball at the high point of a jump)

ball-hawking (used of a player skilled in stealing the ball or robbing a batter of a hit)

slam-dunk (make a slam dunk; shoot a basketball in a slam dunk)

dunk (make a dunk shot, in basketball)

hack (kick on the arms)

center ((basketball) the person who plays center on a basketball team)

key; paint ((basketball) a space (including the foul line) in front of the basket at each end of a basketball court; usually painted a different color from the rest of the court)

rim ((basketball) the hoop from which the net is suspended)

home court ((basketball) the court where the host team plays its home games)

basketball equipment (sports equipment used in playing basketball)

basketball court (the court on which basketball is played)

backboard; basketball backboard (a raised vertical board with basket attached; used to play basketball)

technical; technical foul ((basketball) a foul that can be assessed on a player or a coach or a team for unsportsmanlike conduct; does not usually involve physical contact during play)

assist ((sports) the act of enabling another player to make a good play)

double dribble (an illegal dribble in basketball (the player uses both hands to dribble or the player starts to dribble a second time after coming to a stop))

dribble; dribbling (the propulsion of a ball by repeated taps or kicks)

fast break ((basketball) a rapid dash to get a shot as soon as possible after taking possession of the ball)

jump ball ((basketball) the way play begins or resumes when possession is disputed; an official tosses the ball up between two players who jump in an effort to tap it to a teammate)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "basketball"):

professional basketball (playing basketball for money)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An inflated ball used in playing basketball

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("basketball" is a kind of...):

ball (round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games)

basketball equipment (sports equipment used in playing basketball)

 Context examples 

Physical activity may include planned activity such as walking, running, basketball, or other sports.

(Physical Activity, NCI Thesaurus)