ballpoint pen

noun

ball·​point pen ˈbȯl-ˌpȯint- How to pronounce ballpoint pen (audio)
variants or less commonly ballpoint
: a pen having as the writing point a small rotating metal ball that inks itself by contact with an inner magazine

Examples of ballpoint pen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Cobain left behind a note written in a red ballpoint pen. Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026 The slim knife carries an even slimmer ballpoint pen cartridge that hides away near the rounded tip of the handle. New Atlas, 26 Mar. 2026 Clark is accused of setting up a covert video-recording device, disguised in a ballpoint pen, in the bathroom of a residence, using it to capture intimate footage of people, including minors, according to the case affidavit of probable cause. Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026 On the back of each block, draw the outline of a dreidel with a ballpoint pen, pressing hard. Janna Oberdorf, Parents, 15 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ballpoint pen

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ballpoint pen was in 1953

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ballpoint pen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ballpoint%20pen. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.

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