a bearing consisting of a number of hard balls running in grooves in the surfaces of two concentric rings, one of which is mounted on a rotating or oscillating shaft or the like.
2.
any of the balls so used.
Origin of ball bearing
1880-85
Related forms
ball-bearing, adjective
Examples from the web for ball bearing
Generators had a ball bearing on one end of the armature and a bushing on the other end.
The ball bearing race housings are instrumented with thermistors to measure the temperature.
On bi-parting tracks, provide two-wheel nylon or ball bearing end pulleys with zinc-coated steel housing at each end.
Precision ball bearing, full extension drawer suspensions used on all drawers.
All axial or thrust loads are taken by a large ball bearing at the apex end of the horn.
British Dictionary definitions for ball bearing
ball bearing
noun
1.
a bearing consisting of a number of hard steel balls rolling between a metal sleeve fitted over the rotating shaft and an outer sleeve held in the bearing housing, so reducing friction between moving parts while providing support for the shaft
2.
a metal ball, esp one used in such a bearing
ball bearing in Science
ball bearing
A ring-shaped track containing hard metal balls that roll freely, used to reduce friction where a rotating element (such as an axle) is attached to a fixed point.