# ballpoint pen

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A pen, similar in size and shape to a pencil, having an internal chamber filled with a viscous, quick-drying ink that is dispensed at the tip during use by the rolling action of a metal sphere (around 0.7 mm to 1 mm in diameter).

## Etymology
From ballpoint + pen. Compare Dutch balpen (“ballpoint pen”).

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