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Glite Dictionary
trackball

trackball

1 5.4
A ball you roll with your fingers to move the pointer on the screen
  • noun
  • /ˈtrækˌbɔl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : trackball
  • The old laptop had a unique trackball that controlled the cursor with just a gentle roll.
  • trackball and pad
  • trackball and mouse
  • trackball and touch

What's that What is this a trackball mouse wait, so it comes with the USB receiver.

Examples

  • He used a trackball to navigate through the presentation slides smoothly.

  • Alternate modes of data entry, such as the mouse, trackball, and touch pad described above, have the potential to reduce activation force requirements and relieve the digits of a significant part of their workload.

    Academic text (1992)

  • The trackball differs from the mouse in that the ball is located on its top surface.

    Academic text (1992)

  • The trackball serves the same purpose as the more commonly used mouse.

    Academic text (1992)

  • The trackball was considerably more accurate than all other devices, whereas the touch screen was the least accurate.

    Academic text (1992)

  • I had a trackball years ago that would let you left-click by pushing down on the ball.

    Blog text (23)

  • The characteristics of the trackball seem to be ideally suited to the alleviation of this client's access problems.

    Academic text (1992)

  • Computer mice, trackballs, and even voice recognition are used to communicate with computers and mobile phones.

    Academic text (2008)

  • Finally, the trackball, used in conjunction with a keyboard replica program, enables this client to avoid using the standard keyboard.

    Academic text (1992)

  • In summary, the small cursor displacements, modest activation force, and opportunity for positioning make the trackball an excellent method for controlling the Macintosh environment.

    Academic text (1992)

Surface Forms

trackball singular
trackballs plural

Morphology

trackball = track + ball (transparent) = track + ball

The device name is a straightforward compound: a ball used to track cursor movement, so its meaning is directly inferable from 'track' + 'ball'.

Etymology

The word trackball joins track ('path' or 'to follow') and ball. It is a ball you roll with your fingers to move or 'track' the cursor on the screen, so the name tells you how the device works.