# Balin stone

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A type of pyrophyllite from Inner Mongolia; traditionally used in the Chinese art of seal engraving.

## Etymology
Calque from Chinese 巴林石 (bālínshí), from 巴林 (Bālín, “Baarin (a southern Mongolian tribe)”) + 石 (shí, “stone”), from Manchu ᠪᠠᡵᡳᠨ (barin), from Middle Mongol ᠪᠠᠭᠠᠷᠢᠨ (baɣarin), so named for being quarried in the traditional territory of the Baarins.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/balin-stone