Eight-ball

Quick meaning: Eight-ball is a noun meaning (countable) The billiard ball, almost always black, bearing the number eight.

Meaning

(countable) The billiard ball, almost always black, bearing the number eight.

More Meanings

1. (countable, slang) A portion of cocaine or methamphetamine weighing ¹⁄₈ of an ounce, or 3.5 grams.
2. (countable, slang, ethnic slur) A black person.
3. (countable, aviation, slang) A spherical attitude indicator.
4. (countable, broadcasting) A kind of spherical microphone.
5. (uncountable) A pocket billiards (pool) game played with sixteen balls (a cue ball and fifteen object balls) on a pool table with six pockets.
6. (pool, transitive) To outplay (an opponent) by potting all one's color balls and then the black (or eight-ball) without the opponent potting a single one.

Example Sentences

The angle-of-attack error indicator, located to the right of the attitude "eight-ball," requires some explanation.

He kept his eyes outside, stole a few glances at the "eight ball" attitude indictors^([sic]) inside, and relied on Irwin's callouts.

When a white fellow gets in the ring with an eight ball the eight ball's got no chance. You see, 'cause they call boxing the sweet science. And that's where your colored just runs into trouble. That's just that science part. Yeah, but Joe Louis is a big 'un.

(a policeman confiding to a friend) ".. She had welts and bruises all over. So, one night we get called out there again, and I slip down their hallway and stuff two eight balls in his closet. Turns out he was on parole. He goes back to jail, she's safe, and I slept like a baby."

Word Forms

• eight-balls
• eight-balling
• eight-balled

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include eightball, blackball, pool, billiards, one-pocket, black.

Related Dictionary Tools