ball bearing

noun

: a bearing in which the journal turns upon loose hardened steel balls that roll easily in a race

also : one of the balls in such a bearing

Examples of ball bearing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One was made by sliding a ring cut from a plastic bottle around an RPG warhead, filling this makeshift collar with quarter-inch stainless-steel ball bearings and sealing them against the warhead’s sheath with an electric heat gun. —C.j. Chivers Robert Fass Krish Seenivasan Steven Szczesniak, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024

For anyone who thinks he’s locked away on Nantucket, twirling ball bearings in his hand and pining for the glitz and glitter of the NFL, that doesn’t appear to be the case. —Steve Buckley, The Athletic, 25 July 2024

For example, look for shower curtain rings fitted with ball bearings. —Shivani Vyas, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2024

There are 2,000 ball bearings, a bicycle chain, and a 1/4 horsepower electric motor swirling you a full revolution every 15 minutes. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ball bearing

• childbearing
• comparing
• declaring
• despairing
• forbearing
• impairing
• preparing
• repairing
• ridesharing
• seafaring
• timesharing
• uncaring

Kids Definition

ball bearing

noun

1

: a bearing in which the revolving part turns on steel balls that roll easily in a groove

2

: one of the balls in a ball bearing