"biro" meaning in English

See biro in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈbaɪ.ɹəʊ/ [UK] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-biro.wav [Southern-England] Forms: biros [plural]
Rhymes: -aɪɹəʊ Etymology: Genericized trademark of BIRO, named after László Bíró, the inventor of the ballpoint pen. Etymology templates: {{gentrade|en}} Genericized trademark, {{m|en||BIRO}} BIRO, {{!}} |, {{lang|en|László Bíró}} László Bíró, {{named-after|en|László Bíró|nocap=1|wplink==}} named after László Bíró Head templates: {{en-noun|~}} biro (countable and uncountable, plural biros)
  1. A Biro brand ballpoint pen. Tags: countable, uncountable
    Sense id: en-biro-en-noun-gB-hi19F
  2. (by extension, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland) Any ballpoint pen. Tags: Australia, Ireland, New-Zealand, UK, broadly, countable, uncountable Categories (topical): Writing instruments
    Sense id: en-biro-en-noun-p-A0ba8j Disambiguation of Writing instruments: 30 39 31 Categories (other): Australian English, British English, Irish English, New Zealand English, English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with language name categories using raw markup, English entries with topic categories using raw markup, English genericized trademarks Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 30 39 31 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 27 44 28 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 30 39 31 Disambiguation of English genericized trademarks: 30 40 30
  3. (uncountable, by extension) Ink from a ballpoint pen. Tags: broadly, uncountable
    Sense id: en-biro-en-noun-xQiNWn9k

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for biro meaning in English (4.6kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Genericized trademark",
      "name": "gentrade"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "",
        "3": "BIRO"
      },
      "expansion": "BIRO",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "|",
      "name": "!"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "László Bíró"
      },
      "expansion": "László Bíró",
      "name": "lang"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "László Bíró",
        "nocap": "1",
        "wplink": "="
      },
      "expansion": "named after László Bíró",
      "name": "named-after"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Genericized trademark of BIRO, named after László Bíró, the inventor of the ballpoint pen.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "biros",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "biro (countable and uncountable, plural biros)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1945 November and December, Railway Magazine, page v, advertisement",
          "text": "Biro MARKS A TURNING POINT IN THE HISTORY OF Writing\n\"BIRO\" is unique: it writes with a ballpoint — a point that never goes wrong, never floods, bends or splutters — a point that rolls your writing on to the paper with effortless ease. \"BIRO\" ink dries as you write; you cannot smudge it; you need no blotter. […]\nRetail price 55/- including purchase tax",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1993, Iain Banks, Complicity, published 2008, unnumbered page",
          "text": "Frank's Biro taps delicately at the topmost of the little yellow notes.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A Biro brand ballpoint pen."
      ],
      "id": "en-biro-en-noun-gB-hi19F",
      "links": [
        [
          "ballpoint pen",
          "ballpoint pen"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Australian English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "British English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Irish English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "New Zealand English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 39 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "27 44 28",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 39 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 40 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English genericized trademarks",
          "parents": [
            "Genericized trademarks",
            "Terms by etymology",
            "Trademarks",
            "Terms by usage"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 39 31",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Writing instruments",
          "orig": "en:Writing instruments",
          "parents": [
            "Stationery",
            "Tools",
            "Writing",
            "Technology",
            "Human behaviour",
            "Language",
            "All topics",
            "Human",
            "Communication",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2007, Karen Foxlee, The Anatomy of Wings, page 250",
          "text": "Massimo's finger was poised above red on his multi-coloured biro like a kangaroo frozen in headlights.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any ballpoint pen."
      ],
      "id": "en-biro-en-noun-p-A0ba8j",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(by extension, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland) Any ballpoint pen."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Australia",
        "Ireland",
        "New-Zealand",
        "UK",
        "broadly",
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2011, Shannon Lush, Jennifer Fleming, Completely Spotless, unnumbered page",
          "text": "‘My very creative 2-year-old son used my good friend′s white polyester Roman blinds as a canvas,’ says Jacqui. They′re now covered in blue biro. And although my friend isn′t too bothered by the biro, I am! Can you help?′",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Ink from a ballpoint pen."
      ],
      "id": "en-biro-en-noun-xQiNWn9k",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(uncountable, by extension) Ink from a ballpoint pen."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbaɪ.ɹəʊ/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-aɪɹəʊ"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-biro.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-biro.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-biro.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-biro.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-biro.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "biro"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 2-syllable words",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English eponyms",
    "English genericized trademarks",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Hungarian",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Rhymes:English/aɪɹəʊ",
    "Rhymes:English/aɪɹəʊ/2 syllables",
    "en:Writing instruments"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Genericized trademark",
      "name": "gentrade"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "",
        "3": "BIRO"
      },
      "expansion": "BIRO",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "|",
      "name": "!"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "László Bíró"
      },
      "expansion": "László Bíró",
      "name": "lang"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "László Bíró",
        "nocap": "1",
        "wplink": "="
      },
      "expansion": "named after László Bíró",
      "name": "named-after"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Genericized trademark of BIRO, named after László Bíró, the inventor of the ballpoint pen.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "biros",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "biro (countable and uncountable, plural biros)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1945 November and December, Railway Magazine, page v, advertisement",
          "text": "Biro MARKS A TURNING POINT IN THE HISTORY OF Writing\n\"BIRO\" is unique: it writes with a ballpoint — a point that never goes wrong, never floods, bends or splutters — a point that rolls your writing on to the paper with effortless ease. \"BIRO\" ink dries as you write; you cannot smudge it; you need no blotter. […]\nRetail price 55/- including purchase tax",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1993, Iain Banks, Complicity, published 2008, unnumbered page",
          "text": "Frank's Biro taps delicately at the topmost of the little yellow notes.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A Biro brand ballpoint pen."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "ballpoint pen",
          "ballpoint pen"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Australian English",
        "British English",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Irish English",
        "New Zealand English"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2007, Karen Foxlee, The Anatomy of Wings, page 250",
          "text": "Massimo's finger was poised above red on his multi-coloured biro like a kangaroo frozen in headlights.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any ballpoint pen."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(by extension, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland) Any ballpoint pen."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Australia",
        "Ireland",
        "New-Zealand",
        "UK",
        "broadly",
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English uncountable nouns"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2011, Shannon Lush, Jennifer Fleming, Completely Spotless, unnumbered page",
          "text": "‘My very creative 2-year-old son used my good friend′s white polyester Roman blinds as a canvas,’ says Jacqui. They′re now covered in blue biro. And although my friend isn′t too bothered by the biro, I am! Can you help?′",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Ink from a ballpoint pen."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(uncountable, by extension) Ink from a ballpoint pen."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbaɪ.ɹəʊ/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-aɪɹəʊ"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-biro.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-biro.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-biro.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-biro.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-biro.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "biro"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-05 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.