Phrase guide

ball-and-socket joint

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A joint in which one segment has a rounded end and the next segment has a bowl-shaped end, with the rounded end being fitted into the bowl shape, allowing the first segment to move around an indefinite number of axes which have one common center. Examples include the human shoulder joint and the balljoints of some automotive suspensions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a joint that can rotate within a socket

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: joint

3

noun

Meaning 3

a freely moving joint in which a sphere on the head of one bone fits into a rounded cavity in the other bone

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: spheroid joint, cotyloid joint, enarthrodial joint, enarthrosis, articulatio spheroidea

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: synovial joint, articulatio synovialis, diarthrosis

Narrower terms: shoulder, shoulder joint, articulatio humeri, hip, hip joint, coxa, articulatio coxae

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

17 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: ябълкова става (jabǎlkova stava) — type of joint
  • Danish: kugleled — type of joint
  • Dutch: kogelgewricht — type of joint
  • Faroese: knattliður — type of joint
  • Finnish: pallonivel — type of joint
  • French: rotule — type of joint
  • German: Kugelgelenk — type of joint
  • Hungarian: gömbcsukló — type of joint
  • Hungarian: gömbízület — type of joint
  • Icelandic: kúluliður — type of joint
  • Indonesian: sendi peluru — type of joint
  • Malay: sendi lesung — type of joint
  • Māori: pona kapunga — type of joint
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kuleledd — type of joint
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kuleledd — type of joint
  • Swedish: kulled — type of joint
  • Tagalog: tumbok-salo — type of joint