Definition

A small round food made from ground meat, often mixed with spices and sometimes bread crumbs, and cooked by frying, baking, or boiling.

Example

I made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner last night.

Conversation

Have you ever tried the new Italian place downtown?

Not yet, but I heard their meatball sub is amazing!

We should go there this weekend and give it a shot.

Definitely! I love a good meatball sandwich.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Meatball is formed from "meat" (from Old English *mete*, meaning food or flesh) and "ball" (from Old French *balle*, meaning a round object). The word "meatball" refers to a round object made of meat, typically shaped into a ball for cooking.

Memory Tip

Think of 'meat' as the food and 'ball' as the round shape — that's why a meatball is a round shape made of meat.

Visually Confused Words