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spitball

noun

Etymology

From spit + ball.

  1. derived from *bʰel-✻
  2. derived from *bʰélō✻
  3. inherited from *balluz✻
  4. derived from bǫllr
  5. inherited from *beall✻
  6. inherited from bal
  7. compounded as spitball — “spit + ball”

Definitions

  1. A pitch of a baseball that has been partly covered with saliva, illegal at most levels.

  2. A balled-up piece of paper, moistened with saliva (by chewing) and shot through a…

    A balled-up piece of paper, moistened with saliva (by chewing) and shot through a drinking straw.

  3. To moisten the ball with saliva before pitching it.

  4. ›+ 1 more definition

    1. To brainstorm ideas.

      • Maybe, and I'm just spitballing here, maybe, we have a responsibility as officers to train Santiago.
      • —Yes, Wheeler? —Question. Maybe a stupid one, but I'm just spitballing here.

The neighborhood

Derived

spitballer

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for spitball. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA