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ball cock
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English Dictionary: ball cock by the DICT Development Group
3 results for ball cock
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
ball cock
n
  1. floating ball that controls level in a water tank [syn: ballcock, ball cock]
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
   Ball \Ball\ (b[add]l), n. [OE. bal, balle; akin to OHG. balla,
      palla, G. ball, Icel. b[94]llr, ball; cf. F. balle. Cf. 1st
      {Bale}, n., {Pallmall}.]
      1. Any round or roundish body or mass; a sphere or globe; as,
            a ball of twine; a ball of snow.
  
      2. A spherical body of any substance or size used to play
            with, as by throwing, knocking, kicking, etc.
  
      3. A general name for games in which a ball is thrown,
            kicked, or knocked. See {Baseball}, and {Football}.
  
      4. Any solid spherical, cylindrical, or conical projectile of
            lead or iron, to be discharged from a firearm; as, a
            cannon ball; a rifle ball; -- often used collectively; as,
            powder and ball. Spherical balls for the smaller firearms
            are commonly called {bullets}.
  
      5. (Pyrotechnics & Mil.) A flaming, roundish body shot into
            the air; a case filled with combustibles intended to burst
            and give light or set fire, or to produce smoke or stench;
            as, a fire ball; a stink ball.
  
      6. (Print.) A leather-covered cushion, fastened to a handle
            called a ballstock; -- formerly used by printers for
            inking the form, but now superseded by the roller.
  
      7. A roundish protuberant portion of some part of the body;
            as, the ball of the thumb; the ball of the foot.
  
      8. (Far.) A large pill, a form in which medicine is commonly
            given to horses; a bolus. --White.
  
      9. The globe or earth. --Pope.
  
                     Move round the dark terrestrial ball. --Addison.
  
      {Ball and socket joint}, a joint in which a ball moves within
            a socket, so as to admit of motion in every direction
            within certain limits.
  
      {Ball bearings}, a mechanical device for lessening the
            friction of axle bearings by means of small loose metal
            balls.
  
      {Ball cartridge}, a cartridge containing a ball, as
            distinguished from a blank cartridge, containing only
            powder.
  
      {Ball cock}, a faucet or valve which is opened or closed by
            the fall or rise of a ball floating in water at the end of
            a lever.
  
      {Ball gudgeon}, a pivot of a spherical form, which permits
            lateral deflection of the arbor or shaft, while retaining
            the pivot in its socket. --Knight.
  
      {Ball lever}, the lever used in a ball cock.
  
      {Ball of the eye}, the eye itself, as distinguished from its
            lids and socket; -- formerly, the pupil of the eye.
  
      {Ball valve} (Mach.), a contrivance by which a ball, placed
            in a circular cup with a hole in its bottom, operates as a
            valve.
  
      {Ball vein} (Mining), a sort of iron ore, found in loose
            masses of a globular form, containing sparkling particles.
           
  
      {Three balls}, or {Three golden balls}, a pawnbroker's sign
            or shop.
  
      Syn: See {Globe}.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
   Cock \Cock\, n. [AS. coc; of unknown origin, perh. in imitation
      of the cry of the cock. Cf. {Chicken}.]
      1. The male of birds, particularly of gallinaceous or
            domestic fowls.
  
      2. A vane in the shape of a cock; a weathercock.
  
                     Drenched our steeples, drowned the cocks! --Shak.
  
      3. A chief man; a leader or master. [Humorous]
  
                     Sir Andrew is the cock of the club, since he left
                     us.                                                   --Addison.
  
      4. The crow of a cock, esp. the first crow in the morning;
            cockcrow. [Obs.]
  
                     He begins at curfew, and walks till the first cock.
                                                                              --Shak.
  
      5. A faucet or valve.
  
      Note: Jonsons says, [bd]The handly probably had a cock on the
               top; things that were contrived to turn seem anciently
               to have had that form, whatever was the reason.[b8]
               Skinner says, because it used to be constructed in
               forma crit[91] galli, i.e., in the form of a cock's
               comb.
  
      6. The style of gnomon of a dial. --Chambers.
  
      7. The indicator of a balance. --Johnson.
  
      8. The bridge piece which affords a bearing for the pivot of
            a balance in a clock or watch. --Knight.
  
      {Ball cock}. See under {Ball}.
  
      {Chaparral cock}. See under {Chaparral}.
  
      {Cock and bull story}, {an extravagant}, boastful story; a
            canard.
  
      {Cock of the plains} (Zo[94]l.) See {Sage cock}.
  
      {Cock of the rock} (Zo[94]l.), a South American bird
            ({Rupicola aurantia}) having a beautiful crest.
  
      {Cock of the walk}, a chief or master; the hero of the hour;
            one who has overcrowed, or got the better of, rivals or
            competitors.
  
      {Cock of the woods}. See {Capercailzie}.
No guarantee of accuracy or completeness!
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