pinball

[ pin-bawl ]

noun

1. any of various games played on a sloping, glass-topped table presenting a field of colorful, knoblike target pins and rails, the object usually being to shoot a ball, driven by a spring, up a side passage and cause it to roll back down against these projections and through channels, which electrically flash or ring and record the score.

pinball

/ ˈpɪnˌbɔːl /

noun

1. 1. a game in which the player shoots a small ball through several hazards on a table, electrically operated machine, etc
   2. ( as modifier )

      a pinball machine

Word History and Origins

Origin of pinball¹

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; pin + ball ¹

Example Sentences

He built a storage facility on his property to store his 1,000 machines, and hosted pinball parties, called “Fun Nights.”

From Washington Post

He’ll be fixing up and adding games there gradually, and people will get to experience the history not just of pinball but of Arnold’s own path.

From Washington Post

It’s a pretty broad range, all told, from pinball to battling robots to claw machines.

From TechCrunch

Simulating the pinball as it bounced off the wall wasn’t too tricky — the ball simply reflected off the wall so that the angle it made with respect to the wall didn’t change.

From FiveThirtyEight

A single pinball starts 2 inches from the wall and 2 inches from the center of the circle.

From FiveThirtyEight

Asteroids, at the moment I am writing, is the most popular coin-operated game—video, pinball, or other—in the United States.

From The Daily Beast

The lure and addiction of gaming—which went back to pinball, of course—became a sensation with Asteroids.

From The Daily Beast

In fact, it was by way of pinball that Fisher came to Asteroids in the first place.

From The Daily Beast

At its best, the education “system” is about as organized as a pinball machine.

From The Daily Beast

Not so long ago, pinball machines were as much a fixture in French cafés as coffee and Calvados.

From The Daily Beast

Later, in the Recreation Lounge, Ringg challenged him to a game with one of the pinball machines.

From Project Gutenberg

Resolutely, Bart turned his back on the bewitching colors, and bent over the pinball machine.

From Project Gutenberg

We just did a test yesterday and if he inspects this place now, we won't get enough money to build a pinball machine.

From Project Gutenberg

From pinball games to tennis and skiing, from virtual bowling to virtual football, our thoughts make new experiences possible.

From Project Gutenberg