A globe valve is a valve made for throttling, or regulating how much water flows, rather than simple on-off shutoff. A disc moves up and down onto a ring seat, and water winds through an S-shaped path. That control comes with a higher pressure drop than a gate or ball valve.
A globe valve is a valve built to control the amount of flow, not just to turn it fully on or off. It is named for its rounded body shape. Inside, a movable disc rises and lowers onto a fixed ring seat. Setting that disc partway open lets you dial in the flow, which is called throttling.
How a globe valve works
Turning the handle moves a stem up or down in a straight line. The stem lifts or lowers the disc over the seat. Lifting it a little lets a little water through. This gives fine control over the flow rate.
The flow path is the trade-off. Water cannot run straight through. It has to change direction twice and wind around the disc and seat. Tameson describes this as a path shaped like the letter "Z." That winding path adds resistance, so a globe valve causes more pressure drop than a straight-through valve.
Globe valve vs gate and ball valves
A gate valve and a ball valve are made for on and off. They open to a clear, straight path and lose little pressure. But they are poor at holding a partly open setting. A gate valve left half open can wear out fast.
A globe valve is the opposite. It is the right pick when you need to set the flow and hold it there. The cost is a bigger pressure drop and, on manual valves, a multi-turn handle instead of a quick quarter turn. Plumbers match the valve type to the job: gate and ball for shutoff, a check valve for one-way flow, and globe for throttling.