universal joint

American  

noun

Machinery.

1. a coupling between rotating shafts set at an angle to one another, allowing for rotation in three planes.

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universal joint British  

noun

1. a form of coupling between two rotating shafts allowing freedom of angular movement in all directions

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Etymology

Origin of universal joint

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

He has several smashed game controllers in his studio and says his favorite part of these is the joystick: “It’s mechanical, a universal joint. The kind of universal joint you find in your car.”

From Slate • Oct. 4, 2016

He was an amateur boxer in his youth, held jobs where he wore shirts embroidered with the name “Phil” and knew how to rebuild the universal joint of a car’s powertrain.

From Washington Post • Feb. 17, 2015

Honda said up to four bolts that attach a propeller shaft to a universal joint may not have been tightened properly and over time could loosen and fall out, causing the shaft to detach.

From Reuters • Dec. 13, 2013

The Windsurfer featured a hand-held wishbone boom joined to an asymmetrical sail and a universal joint where the mast met the board.

From New York Times • Jul. 4, 2012

This lever is mounted on a universal joint, and can be moved from side to side as well as to and fro.

From Learning to Fly A Practical Manual for Beginners by Grahame-White, Claude