biro

English

Wikipedia

A biro.

Etymology

From the BIRO brand of pens made by the BIC corporation, which were named after László Bíró, the inventor of the pen.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈbaɪˌɹəʊ/, X-SAMPA: /"baI%r@U/

Noun

biro (plural biros)

1. A BIRO brand ballpoint pen.
   • 1993, Iain Banks, Complicity, 2008, unnumbered page,

     Frank's Biro taps delicately at the topmost of the little yellow notes.

2. (by extension, UK, New Zealand) Any ballpoint pen.
   • 2007, Karen Foxlee, The Anatomy of Wings, page 250,

     Massimo's finger was poised above red on his multi-coloured biro like a kangaroo frozen in headlights.

3. (by extension) Ink from a ballpoint pen.
   • 2011, Shannon Lush, Jennifer Fleming, Completely Spotless, unnumbered page,

     ‘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?′

Translations

ballpoint pen — see ballpoint pen

Anagrams

• brio

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Esperanto

Noun

biro (plural biroj, accusative singular biron, accusative plural birojn)

1. (directional) bearing

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Italian

Noun

biro f (invariable)

1. biro

Anagrams

• bori, brio, orbi

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Tagalog

Noun

biro

1. A joke.

   Naging biro na sa magkaibigan ang pinag-awayan nila dati. -- What the friends had argued about before has become a joke.

Inflection

• biruan: joke between two or more parties about anything

Verb

biro

1. To jest or make fun of in a friendly, pacifistic manner.

   Binibiro namin si Lawrence sa kakaibang paraan niya sa pakikitungo sa kapwa. -- We tease Lawrence of his queer way of dealing with people.

Inflection

Past

• bumiro: joked about (something), joked to (someone)
• nagbiro: joked to (someone), joked about something
• biniro, biniruan: teased (someone), joked to (someone)
• nagbiruan: joked with (someone)

Present

• bumibiro, nagbibiro: telling a joke, teasing, making fun of
• binibiro, binibiruan: teasing (someone)

Future

• bibiro, magbibiro: will joke, will tell a joke, will tease
• bibiruan: will tease (someone)
• biruan: to urge (someone else) to tease or joke to