/ˈbɑː.skɪt.bɔːl/
New to these symbols? How to read English IPAMeaning
A game where two teams try to throw a ball through a high ring, or the ball used in that game.
Test yourself on basketball
Three quick questions. No account needed.
Know this word? Create a free account to track it.
Word origin
A compound of basket and ball; the first games in 1891 used real fruit baskets fixed to a wall as the goals.
- Origin
- English
- Root
- basket + ball
- English cognates
- basket, ball
Grammar
Examples
.
For the game, we say "play basketball" with no the.
tallest .
Basketball players are often very tall.
.
Here "basketball" is countable; it means the ball itself.
Where this fits
Add to review queue
Track this word in your spaced-repetition queue and be tested on it at the right interval.
Meet this word in a story
Every course has graded stories written only with words you have been taught, plus grammar drills, a games arcade and printable worksheets. Chapters 1 and 2 are free.
Chapters 1 and 2 free, forever. Plus: 7 days free, then $5 a month for all eleven languages.
English · Free printables
basketball: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the English word "basketball" (A game where two teams try to throw a ball through a high ring, or the ball used in that game.): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
Free for members
The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.
Start your free weekThis word is taught in chapter 31, lesson 6: basketball, cable, shortly and 7 more words.