trackball

American  

[trak-bawl] / ˈtrækˌbɔl /

noun

1. a computer input device for controlling the pointer on a display screen by rotating a ball set inside a case.

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trackball British  

/ ˈtrækəˌbɔːl, ˈtrækˌbɔːl /

noun

1. computing a device consisting of a small ball, mounted in a cup, which can be rotated to move the cursor around the screen

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Etymology

Origin of trackball

First recorded in 1975–1980

Example Sentences

First, the team designed a miniature virtual reality arena and displayed it on a screen surrounding a spherical treadmill, a bit like the trackball of a computer mouse.

From Science Magazine

He’s built more than one trackball and has created plenty of his own mods, including a trackball based around a pool cue ball and one using a big steel ball bearing.

From The Verge

The beautiful blue keyboard is saddled with a gigantic trackball.

From The Verge

“It’d be a funny gag if I got really into having a trackball,” I thought.

From The Verge

It sounds similar to a laptop trackpad, but it worked closest to a trackball, designed to let you fling a cursor around your TV at the same speed you could with a regular mouse.

From The Verge