ball-and-socket joint
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4.1
- noun
- /bɔl ənd ˈsɑkɪt dʒɔɪnt/
- Specialized
- Your shoulder is a ball and socket joint and you can move your shoulder, your upper, your arm every which way because it's that ball and socket joint in there.
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Watch on YouTubeYour shoulder is a ball and socket joint and you can move your shoulder, your upper, your arm every which way because it's that ball and socket joint in there.
- Your shoulder is a ball and socket joint and you can move your shoulder, your upper, your arm every which way because it's that ball and socket joint in there.
Examples
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All right, so we have your ball and socket joint in here, your giant femur in here.
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The shoulder has a ball-and-socket joint that provides excellent range of motion.
Blog text (15) -
And a PVC skeleton with plastic ball and socket joints for optimum movement.
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The concavities are also ball-and-socket joint articulations to best reflect the wide range of motion of the thumb (6).
Academic text (2015) -
The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint, allowing for a wide range of movement.
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The hip is another important ball-and-socket joint that supports activities like running and jumping.
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In our bodies, ball-and-socket joints enable smooth rotation and flexibility in areas like the shoulders.
Synonyms
A joint where a round bone head fits into a cup-like socket to move in many directions
A joint where a rounded bone fits into a cup-shaped socket to move in many directions like the hip
A joint where a rounded bone end fits into a cup in another bone, like the hip or shoulder
A joint where a rounded bone end fits into a cup socket to allow movement in many directions
A joint where a round bone end fits in a cup, letting movement in all directions
How Mobile
- Specialized
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4.1
- Specialized
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4.3
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Surface Forms
Morphology
ball-and-socket + joint
The meaning is directly and literally derivable from the constituents: 'ball' (a rounded end), 'socket' (a cup-like cavity) and 'joint' (where bones meet), so a B1 learner who knows these words can picture a joint where a rounded end fits into a socket allowing multi-directional movement. This is a compositional, technical term rather than an idiom and follows transparent naming patterns (and similar literal constructions exist cross-linguistically), so it is readily understandable.
Etymology
The term ball-and-socket joint comes from the simple image of a round ball fitting into a cup-like socket, like a marble sitting in a bowl. That's why the joint lets a bone 'move in many directions' and explains the free movement of the hip and shoulder.