1660–70
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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| a natural division or groove in an organ, as in the brain |
| the middle portion of the ear, consisting of the tympanic membrane and an air-filled chamber lined with mucous membrane, that contains the malleus, incus, and stapes. |
| ball-and-socket joint or ball joint | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a coupling between two rods, tubes, etc, that consists of a spherical part fitting into a spherical socket, allowing free movement within a specific conical volume |
| 2. | anatomy Also called: multiaxial joint a bony joint, such as the hip joint, in which a rounded head fits into a rounded cavity, allowing a wide range of movement |
| ball joint or ball joint | |
| —n | |
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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ball-and-socket joint n.
A multiaxial joint in which a sphere on the head of one bone fits into a rounded cavity in the other bone, as in the hip joint. Also called cotyloid joint, enarthrodial joint, enarthrosis, spheroid joint.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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ball-and-socket joint  (bôl'ən-sŏk'ĭt) Pronunciation Key
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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ball-and-socket joint
in vertebrate anatomy, a joint in which the rounded surface of a bone moves within a depression on another bone, allowing greater freedom of movement than any other kind of joint. It is most highly developed in the large shoulder and hip joints of mammals, including humans, in which it provides swing for the arms and legs in various directions and also spin of those limbs upon the more stationary bones
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