Ballpoint

/ˈbɔːlˌpɔɪnt/ noun

A pen with a small metal ball at the tip that rolls to distribute ink smoothly onto paper as you write.

Compound of 'ball' and 'point.' Invented in the 1930s by László Bíró, a Hungarian journalist who created it to improve upon fountain pen technology, combining 'ball' (the rolling mechanism) with 'point' (the writing tip).

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