What does biro mean?
A biro is a ballpoint pen — a writing instrument with a tiny rotating metal ball at its tip that dispenses oil-based ink as it rolls across paper. The word comes from László Bíró, the Hungarian journalist who patented the modern ballpoint in the 1930s, and in Britain and much of the Commonwealth it became so closely associated with the product that the name turned into a generic term for the whole category. In British English, 'biro' is the everyday, unremarkable word: people jot notes in biro, lend each other a biro, and lose biros by the dozen. It carries no particular formality or connotation beyond being ordinary and ubiquitous. In American English the same object is usually called a ballpoint or ballpoint pen, making 'biro' a distinctly regional marker. The capitalized form remains a trademark, but the lowercase noun is now firmly established in dictionaries — a classic example of a brand name becoming a household word.
nounA ballpoint pen, especially one of a type named after László Bíró, the Hungarian inventor who patented it.
- A ballpoint pen, particularly one of the original type patented by László Bíró; by extension, any ballpoint pen in British usage.
"She scribbled down the phone number with the biro that lived in her coat pocket."
"He filled out the crossword in biro because he never made mistakes worth erasing."
"The teacher asked everyone to bring two black biros to the exam."
Regular plural formation. Commonly used when referring to multiple pens, e.g. in office supplies or classroom contexts.
"There's a jar full of biros on the kitchen counter."
The biro was invented by a Hungarian journalist who was fed up with fountain pens smudging newspaper ink — and his design was so good the RAF used it to write at high altitude where fountain pens failed.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of biro
The word derives from the surname of László Bíró, a Hungarian journalist who, working with his brother György, patented a practical ballpoint pen design in 1938 after becoming frustrated with fountain pens that smudged newsprint. The Bíró brothers later emigrated to Argentina, where their pens were produced commercially, and the design was licensed to manufacturers elsewhere, including the Eversharp company in the United States and Miles Martin Pen Company in Britain. As the ballpoint spread through the English-speaking world, 'biro' became genericized in British English as the common noun for the object, while American English adopted 'ballpoint' instead.
How biro is actually used
'Biro' is chiefly British and Commonwealth English; American speakers typically say 'ballpoint' or 'ballpoint pen' instead. It is informal-to-neutral in register. When written with a capital letter, Biro is a trademark referring specifically to pens of the original Bíró design.
Easily confused with biro
The capitalized form is a trademarked brand name for the original Bíró pens, while lowercase 'biro' has become the generic term for any ballpoint pen.