Meaning of ball drop | Babel Free

Definitions

A world-famous tradition when a large, illuminated crystal ball descends a flagpole from midnight to mark the new year; most commonly associated with the New Year's Eve event in New York's Times Square; a ritual inspired by maritime time ball signals that began in 1907 and has evolved into a massive global event with music and sizable crowds.

Examples

“In 1907, New Yorkers saw⟳ their first “ball drop” celebration.”

“Jeanie, the media expert, couldn’t help⟳ but notice⟳ that the ball drop was different this year. She could tell⟳ from the camera angles that the crowd was much, much smaller than in the past.”

“For the first 87 years of the ball drop, the spectacle was run⟳ entirely by hand. Now, it’s an electronic process⟳ and an atomic clock in Colorado controls the countdown.”

CEFR level