# one-word synonym for a disco ball? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 8, 2009, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775 "2009-03-08T23:16:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775/1 "2009-03-08T23:16:11Z")
My mom insists that she used to know another term for a disco ball that was one word. She hasn’t been able to think of what it was and it’s been kind of bugging her for years. Anyone know what she might be thinking of? ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775/2 "2009-03-08T23:18:36Z")
Sparkleball? It’s a compound word, but it is the only one I can think of. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775/3 "2009-03-08T23:33:24Z")
I’m pretty sure it’s not a compound word, from what she was saying. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775/4 "2009-03-08T23:42:34Z")
Searching for “disco+ball+history”, “disco+ball+name+means”, “disco+ball+meaning”, and “disco+ball+synonym”, all I am finding is mirror ball, glitter ball, or ball mirror. Pretty sure your mom’s wrong on this. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775/5 "2009-03-08T23:49:13Z")
pregnancy? nauseua? both? ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775/6 "2009-03-09T00:24:19Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > Pretty sure your mom’s wrong on this. Boy howdy you had best not ever let my mom hear you say that! _shaking in fear_ ---
**Author:** ![Jeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775/7 "2009-03-09T00:26:27Z")
Mirrorball, I think. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775/8 "2009-03-09T00:27:44Z")
She said that “mirrorball” has been suggested to her before and that isn’t it. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775/9 "2009-03-09T01:57:22Z")
Well then, she had damned well better come up with it! And then tell us! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775/10 "2009-03-09T03:19:42Z")
[Wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glitterball) refers to a glitterball as a TV show, but it is linked to from the “disco ball” entry. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775/11 "2009-03-09T04:47:20Z")
I’ve always called it a mirrorball. Boring, but there it is. Maybe she’s misremembering? ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775/12 "2009-03-09T07:26:38Z")
I’d go with mirrorball or glitterballl. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775/13 "2009-03-09T08:29:05Z")
If you were asking for one word that **means** “disco ball,” I would say “bauble.” Or maybe “diadem.” ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775/14 "2009-03-09T16:41:23Z")
I hereby coin “mirrorb” ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775/15 "2009-03-09T16:46:23Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > I hereby coin “mirrorb” Nice. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kuboydal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@Kuboydal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuboydal)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775/16 "2009-03-09T17:01:02Z")
Is disco ball worse than tennis elbow? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775/17 "2009-03-09T17:16:10Z")
It’s _Citizen Kane_. ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775/18 "2009-03-09T17:18:07Z")
> [@Kuboydal](#): > > Is disco ball worse than tennis elbow? Not as bad as pussy foot. ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775/19 "2009-03-09T17:21:33Z")
> [@Kuboydal](#): > > Is disco ball worse than tennis elbow? May I have your address? I need to send you a bill for the five minutes I just spent cleaning oatmeal out of my keyboard. 😃 [And once again I learn that it is perilous to read the Dope while eating breakfast…] ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775/20 "2009-03-09T17:37:45Z")
I never did get a one-word version when I asked [What did they call “disco balls” before disco?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=329224&highlight=disco) on 08-08-2005, 05:33 AM, but there was another term “myriad reflector” that was offered. The link seems to be broken to the patent data for that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-word-synonym-for-a-disco-ball/488775.md?page=2)