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bolígrafo

ballpoint pen

noun boh-LEE-grah-foh Rare
Communication Writing

Origin: Named after László Bíró, its Hungarian-Argentine inventor

Usage Note

Bolígrafo is the standard Spanish term for a ballpoint pen, often shortened in colloquial speech to boli in Spain. In some Latin American countries lapicero or esfero (Colombia, Ecuador) are used instead. The word derives from the name of László Bíró, the pen's inventor, whose surname is the root of biro in British English. Always masculine (el bolígrafo), it follows the pattern of many technology-derived nouns ending in -grafo.

Examples

"¿Me prestas tu bolígrafo un momento?"

Natural Translation

Can you lend me your pen for a moment?

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