ball valve

American  

noun

Machinery.

1. 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.

2. any valve that checks flow by the seating of a ball.

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ball valve British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of ball valve

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Should you have a full-pressure leak, you can cut the copper pipe, slide on an open ball valve and use a press tool to crimp the valve onto the copper tubing.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 17, 2023

The device mimics the upper GI tract: an artificial stomach with a pressure pump, and a ball valve 'sphincter muscle,' leading up to the esophagus and throat.

From Scientific American • Aug. 22, 2015

He fitted the bucket with a hose that was controlled by a ball valve of the sort used in swimming pool plumbing systems.

From New York Times • Sep. 18, 2010

But any ball valve is rougher on blood cells than nature's leaflet valves, so surgeons at the University of Wisconsin have developed butterfly valves of Teflon that come closer to the original in design.

From Time Magazine Archive

It will be seen that the suction of the pump will draw the oil up, the small and lower ball valve, of course, allowing it to pass freely.

From Gas and Oil Engines, Simply Explained An Elementary Instruction Book for Amateurs and Engine Attendants by Runciman, Walter C.