airball

See also: air ball

English

Etymology

• air +‎ ball
• The first recorded use of the "airball" chant was on February 24, 1979, during a college basketball game between the Duke University Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels after the Tar Heels' Rich Yonakor took a shot which missed the rim.

Noun

airball (plural airballs)

1. (basketball) A shot that misses the backboard, rim and net entirely.

   As soon as the shot left his hands, the spectators could see it was going to be an airball.

Verb

airball (third-person singular simple present airballs, present participle airballing, simple past and past participle airballed)

1. (basketball) To throw an airball

Further reading

• Charlotte Observer - 26th anniversary of the airball chant
• Slate - Invention of the "air ball" chant

Anagrams

• Barilla, barilla