Roller Ball or Rollerball?

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Is it "roller ball" or "rollerball"?

  • roller ball

    Votes: 9 19.6%
  • rollerball

    Votes: 37 80.4%

  • Total voters
    46
  • Poll closed .

azamiryou

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Joined
Aug 14, 2010
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Silver Spring, MD USA
Parker and Uni say "roller ball" (though Uni usually leaves the "ball" off and makes it "Roller Pen" or just "Roller"). Mont Blanc, Cross, and Wikipedia say "rollerball". Merriam-Webster is silent on the subject. What do you call it?
 
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AKPenTurner

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Jul 31, 2010
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Anchor Point, Alaska
I've always used rollerball.
As a quick check, I typed it into Microsoft Word and looked it up in its dictionary, which had this as its definition:
1. Pen with movable ball tip.
A pen with a writing tip in the form of a small movable metal or plastic ball.

Not that Microsoft Word is any authority, I have tons of trouble with the program. Maybe they finally got something right...:rolleyes:
 

stolicky

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Mar 14, 2008
Messages
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Location
Loudonville, NY, USA.
Auto spell check does not like "rollerball". Just sayin' I don't like those squiggly red lines under my engineering taught spelling ability... : )

Personally, I do like it as one word.
 

DCBluesman

Passed Away Mar 3, 2016
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I'm not sure this is definitive, but the The Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association, a national trade association covering the $4.5-billion industry of pen, pencil and marker manufacturers, says roller ball pen. I believe either has become acceptable.
 

Rfturner

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Jan 10, 2010
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Santa Maria, CA
I generally use Rollerball, but I have found that I sometimes write it as roller ball. I like it better being one word personally.
 

Smitty37

Passed Away Mar 29, 2018
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Milford, Delaware 19963
spoken word

When spoken...it really doesn't make any difference does it? "Rollerball" and "roller ball" really sound the same. I think I usually write it as rollerball unless I'm typing a little bit faster then it will come out roller ball. My guess is the reader will know what I mean in either case.
 

gawdelpus

Passed Away May 11, 2015
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Gold coast AU
Hmmm ! does this mean that biro's and that type are also "Roller Balls" I assume they have a ball that rolls the ink onto the paper :) cheers ~:biggrin: John
 

pianomanpj

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Joined
Sep 24, 2007
Messages
1,147
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Augusta, Maine, USA.
Direct from the pages of Exotics!!!! Nuff said, this must be right!!!

Churchill Roller Ball Kit

Why would they have to be right ? According to the spell checker "ed4copies" is really "endoscopies" so if he's been spelling his name wrong for all these years ..... :wink::tongue::biggrin:

Sheesh, Ed! Are you gonna take that lying down?!? :cool:

Well, I suppose endoscopically, you would... :eek::rolleyes:
 

Chthulhu

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Oct 15, 2010
Messages
233
Location
Escondido, California
I'm not sure this is definitive, but the The Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association, a national trade association covering the $4.5-billion industry of pen, pencil and marker manufacturers, says roller ball pen. I believe either has become acceptable.

And on the WIMA Web site:

"In 1977 a new type of ballpoint that uses low-viscosity ink was introduced - the 'Rollerball.'"
 
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