[f. TRAP sb.1 + BALL sb.1] A game in which a ball, placed upon one end (slightly hollowed) of a trap (TRAP sb.1 3), is thrown into the air by the batsman striking the other end with his bat, with which he then hits the ball away.
1658. Churchw. Acc. St. Marg. Westminster (Nichols, 1797), 64. One that played at trap-ball on the Lords day.
1740. Chesterf., Lett. (1792), I. lxxi. 197. You will desire to excell all boys of your age at cricket, or trap-ball, as well as in learning.
1814. Sporting Mag., XLIII. 240. A game of trap-ball was played this month on the ice.
1909. Daily Chron., 27 Aug., 7/3. An inn … where … trap-ball is played on the lawn…. The dictionary already calls it ‘an old game.’
attrib. 1845. J. T. Smith, Bk. Rainy Day (1861), 18. On the eastern side of the house there was a trap-ball-ground.
b. A ball used in this game. rare.
1713. S. Sewall, Diary, 6 June. Boston … came down a Spit, and clear’d the Leaden throat, by thrusting out a Trap-Ball that stuck there.
