Paintballs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Small, spherical projectiles filled with paint used in recreational shooting games
2. designed to mark targets upon impact while being safe for participants
3. commonly utilized in competitive and recreational scenarios to engage players in tactical play

Etymology: "Paintballs" is simply the plural of "paintball", so its origin lies in the two words it joins: "paint" and "ball". Both are old English words with long histories of their own, and the compound puts them together to describe a ball made of paint. The plural adds the usual "-s" to a noun that already names a single projectile. The earliest parts of the compound are the most interesting. "Paint" came into English from Old French "peint", the past participle of "peindre", meaning "to paint", which itself came from Latin "pingere", "to paint or decorate." "Ball" is older still, a native English word, traceable to Old Norse "bǫllr", reflecting the Norse influence on Old English. Joining these two words gives a direct, literal name: a round thing made of paint.

Synonyms: projectiles, ammunition, paint pellets