ball and stick

English

Ball-and-stick handwriting on a blackboard.

Alternative forms

• ball-and-stick

Etymology

The handwriting sense derives from the resemblance of the circular and linear elements of the letters to a ball and a stick.

Noun

ball and stick (uncountable)

1. (education) A style of handwriting in which the letters are not joined and feature straight lines and circular arcs; block letters.
2. (physical chemistry) The representation of chemical substances in a three-dimensional way using ball-and-stick models.

Derived terms

• ball-and-stick model