Also called enarthrosis. Anatomy, Zoology. a joint in which the rounded end of one bone fits into a cuplike end of the other bone, allowing for relatively free rotary motion, as at the hip or shoulder.
Also called ball joint.a similar joint between rods, links, pipes, etc., consisting of a ball-like termination on one part held within a concave, spherical socket on the other.
British Dictionary definitions for ball-and-socket joint
ball-and-socket joint
ball joint
noun
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
Also called: multiaxial jointanatomya bony joint, such as the hip joint, in which a rounded head fits into a rounded cavity, allowing a wide range of movement
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.cotyloid jointenarthrosis
A joint, such as the shoulder or hip joint, in which a spherical knob or knoblike part of one bone fits into a cavity or socket of another, so that some degree of rotary motion is possible in every direction.
A mechanical device consisting of a spherical knob at the end of a shaft that fits securely into a socket. Ball-and-socket joints are used to connect parts of a machine that require rotary movement in nearly all directions. Ball-and-socket joints allow the front wheels of a car to be turned by the steering mechanism.
