ball signal

noun

A kind of mechanical signal used on early American railroads, consisting of wooden balls, painted various colors, that were hoisted up and down a pole using a rope and pulley.

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Meanings

nounball signal (plural ball signals)

plural ball signals

  1. historicalA kind of mechanical signal used on early American railroads, consisting of wooden balls, painted various colors, that were hoisted up and down a pole using a rope and pulley.
Cite this entry
APA

ball signal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ball%20signal

MLA

“ball signal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ball%20signal. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ball signal,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ball%20signal.

Source: ball signal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.