ball valve

noun Machinery.

a valve controlling flow by means of a ball pierced with an opening in one direction and fixed to rotate on a spindle at right angles to the opening.
any valve that checks flow by the seating of a ball.

Origin of ball valve

First recorded in 1830–40

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for ball valve

Historical Examples of ball valve

The ball-valve is supported by a suspension thread (T) from the roof of the bell (B).
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 3
Various
When the pressure falls again, the ball-valve is lowered and more gas passes through.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 3
Various
At o is a delivery valve, opening outwards, which is often a ball-valve but sometimes a flap-valve.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 1
Various
The ball-valve ensures that while air can be sucked from both sides of the piston, it can be admitted to the lower side only.
How it Works
Archibald Williams
Should the pressure increase, the bell (B) is raised and with it the ball-valve (V).
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 3
Various

British Dictionary definitions for ball valve

ball valve

noun

a one-way valve consisting of a metal ball with a cylindrical hole fitting into a concave seat over an opening

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ball valve in Medicine

ball valve

A valve regulated by the position of a free-floating ball that moves in response to fluid or mechanical pressure.