meatball

American

[meet-bawl] / ˈmitˌbɔl /

noun

Cooking. a small ball of ground meat, especially beef, often mixed with breadcrumbs, seasonings, etc., before cooking.
Slang. an awkward, clumsy, or ineffectual person.

meatball British

/ ˈmiːtˌbɔːl /

noun

minced beef, shaped into a ball before cooking
slang a stupid or boring person

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of meatball

First recorded in 1830–40; meat + ball ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He is incessantly screaming at us to eat concoctions such as beer-battered meatball sandwiches, wrapped in a pizza and deep-fried in lard.

From Salon

The furniture company known for its Swedish meatballs and blocky “Kallax” shelving units has found a home inside the old Helms Bakery complex in Culver City.

From Los Angeles Times

In an alley behind Tony’s Restaurant, two dogs share a heaping plate of spaghetti and meatballs under the moonlight.

From Salon

Mom said as she served out three platefuls of spaghetti and meatballs.

From Literature

In the ring, she gives them human treats such as salmon, steak and meatballs.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023