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

Photograph: Getty Images The basic machine for grinding a steel ball bearing has been the same since around 1900, but manufacturers have been steadily automating everything around it. —Russell Brandom, WIRED, 24 Feb. 2025

Hassan would allegedly send the informant links for purchasing firearms and ball bearings for bombs, instructing him to pay in cryptocurrency. —Ben Brachfeld, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024

The clasp also incorporates ceramic ball bearings for a smooth and secure closure. —Bhanu Chopra, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025

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

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