Lewis & Short

3. pĭla, ae (gen. sing. pilaï, Lucr. 5, 713; 720; 726), f. [etym. dub.; perh. akin to Gr. πάλλω, brandish; Lat. pellere, drive; v. Corss. 1, 525 sqq.], a ball, playing-ball (syn. follis).

  1. I. Lit.: pilā expulsim ludere, Varr. ap. Non. 104, 29: di nos quasi pilas homines habent, Plaut. Capt. prol. 22; id. Most. 1, 2, 73: pilae studio teneri, Cic. de Or. 3, 23, 88; Hor. S. 1, 5, 49: cum lapsa e manibus fugit pila, Verg. Cir. 149, Prop. 3, 12 (4, 13), 5: pila cadit aut mittentis vitio, aut accipientis . . . (pila) jactata et excepta, Sen. Ben. 2, 17, 3: pilam scite et diligenter excipere . . . apte et expedite remittere, id. ib. 2, 32, 1: pilam repetere, quae terram contigit, Petr. 27: reddere pilam, Mart. 14, 46, 2. There were four sorts of pilæ: trigonalis, paganica, follis, harpastum.
    Prov.: mea pila est, I have the ball, I have caught it, I’ve won, Plaut. Truc. 4, 1, 7: claudus pilam, Cic. Pis. 28, 69; v. claudus: Fortunae pila, the foot-ball of fortune, Aur. Vict. Epit. 18.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. The game of ball: quantum alii tribuunt alveolo, quantum pilae, Cic. Arch. 6, 13.
    2. B. Of any thing round, a ball or globe of any material: pilae lanuginis, Plin. 12, 10, 21, § 38: scarabaei e fimo ingentes pilas aversi pedibus volutant, id. 11, 28, 34, § 98.
      Of the globe of the earth (ante-class.): in terrae pila, Varr. ap. Non. 333, 25.
      The ancients made use of a glass or crystal ball filled with water as a burning-glass: cum addită aquā vitreae pilae sole adverso in tantum excandescunt, ut vestes exurant, Plin. 36, 26, 67, § 199; 37, 2, 10, § 28.
      The Roman ladies carried a crystal or amber ball to keep their hands cool, Prop. 2, 18, 60 (3, 18, 12); Mart. 11, 8.
      Of the ball or lump of earth which adheres to the roots of a bush when torn up, Col. 5, 9.
      Of the ballots or bails used by judges in voting, Prop. 4 (5), 11, 19; Ascon. Argum. Milon. fin.
      Of stuffed balls or human figures: pilae et effigies viriles et muliebres ex lanā Compitalibus suspendebantur in compitis. quod hunc diem festum esse deorum inferorum quos vocant Lares, putarent: quibus tot pilae, quot capita servorum; tot effigies, quot essent liberi. ponebantur, ut vivis parcerent et essent his pilis et simulacris contenti, Paul. ex Fest. p. 239 Müll. Bulls were baited by throwing similar stuffed figures at their heads, Mart. Spect. 19, 2: quantus erat cornu, cui pila taurus erat! id. ib. 9; hence, sed cui primus erat lusor dum floruit aetas, Nunc postquam desiit ludere prima pila est, id. ib. 10, 86. As these effigies were usually torn by the throwing, the term is also applied to a torn toga, Mart. 2, 43, 6.
    3. C. In partic.: pilae Nursicae, i. e. rapae rotundae, Mart. 13, 20, 2.