boule

ball, sphere

noun BOOL Less Common

Also means

bowl (the game)

Usage Note

Boule can refer to any ball or sphere, but is most associated with pétanque, the classic French lawn bowling game. Jouer aux boules is a deeply cultural pastime. The plural boules refers to the metal balls used in pétanque. Colloquially, perdre la boule means 'to lose one's mind'.

Examples

"Il lance la boule vers le cochonnet."

Natural Translation

He throws the ball toward the jack.

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