trackball

American

[trak-bawl] / ˈtrækˌbɔl /

noun

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

trackball British

/ ˈtrækəˌbɔːl, ˈtrækˌbɔːl /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of trackball

First recorded in 1975–1980

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

With the one finger he is able to move, he controls the on-screen cursor using a trackball.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

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 • Nov. 1, 2023

The worst thing about my beloved Logitech trackball is the software.

From The Verge • May 10, 2022

The beautiful blue keyboard is saddled with a gigantic trackball.

From The Verge • Apr. 7, 2022

The eyebrows on the face twisted and turned as Vinnie moved the trackball with his right hand and clicked at the keyboard with his left.

From Terminal Compromise: computer terrorism: when privacy and freedom are the victims: a novel by Schwartau, Winn

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023