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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The organization later posted an image of grenade fragments left over from the attack, showing the weapons were packed with ball bearings. Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2025 The dawn of the automobile age, for instance, spurred fascination with machinery, influencing designs like the cabochon spheres that evoke ball bearings in many Cartier pieces of the time. Jill Newman, Robb Report, 29 June 2025 Fist-size rocks rolled like ball bearings under the feet of our horses. Jim Carmichel, Outdoor Life, 5 June 2025 More than 5,000 years after the contributions of the Carpathian miners, a Parisian bicycle mechanic invented radial ball bearings, which once again revolutionized wheeled transportation. Kai James, The Conversation, 11 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for ball bearing

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ball bearing was in 1860

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Cite this Entry

“Ball bearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ball%20bearing. Accessed 27 Jul. 2025.

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

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