球状船首，或称球型艏，是为了船只能抵消海波的打击而设计的，外型为一个突出的球般，位置在船首水线底下。突起的部分能抵消海浪所造能的冲击，令燃料的效率及速度提高，故常见于大型船只。它和船只的撞角外型类似，但功用及效果则大相迳庭。不少现代的船舰也采取类似的设计，包括日本海军的大和号及翔鹤型航空母舰。

维基共享资源中相关的多媒体资源：球状船首

A bulbous bow is a protruding bulb at the bow (or front) of a ship just below the waterline. The bulb modifies the way the water flows around the hull, reducing drag and thus increasing speed, range, fuel efficiency, and stability. Large ships with bulbous bows generally have a twelve to fifteen percent better fuel efficiency than similar vessels without them. A bulbous bow also increases the buoyancy of the forward part and hence reduces the pitching of the ship to a small degree.