ball-and-socket

Rotational joint type

A ball-and-socket joint connects two parts by fitting a rounded end into a cup-shaped cavity, allowing rotation in multiple directions.

The hip and shoulder are ball-and-socket joints.

The term appears as an adjective describing this type of connection: a ball-and-socket lamp that swivels freely.

mechanical

joint

Shared by multiple parties

couplingJoint between systems
swivelRotating connection point
linkageConnected system of parts

pivot · connector · universal joint · trailer hitch · steering · suspension · robotics · actuator · bearing · articulation

anatomy

hip

Fashionable or pelvic joint

shoulderUpper arm joint
jointShared by multiple parties
femurUpper leg bone

humerus · glenoid · cartilage · synovial · ligament · range of motion · articulation · pelvis · scapula · dislocation

Categories

joints & hingeshinge, elbow, knee, knuckle, pivot
articulated thingshinge, pivot, knuckle, elbow, knee
pivot partspivot point, swivel joint, swivel, hinge, fulcrum
bonesskull, femur, tibia, skulls, humerus

Opposites

joint type/mechanism

ball-and-sockethinge

Movable connecting joint

hinge joint · suture · weld · welded joint

Family

ball, balloon, balls, football, snowball, baseball, socket, basketball, ballooning

Familiarity: Top 200,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G