Meanings
nounball and stick (uncountable)
alternative ball-and-stick
- uncountableeducationA style of handwriting in which the letters are not joined and feature straight lines and circular arcs; block letters.
- physicaluncountablechemistryThe representation of chemical substances in a three-dimensional way using ball-and-stick models.
Origin
The handwriting sense derives from the resemblance of the circular and linear elements of the letters to a ball and a stick.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
ball and stick. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ball%20and%20stick
MLA
“ball and stick.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ball%20and%20stick. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ball and stick,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ball%20and%20stick.
Source: ball and stick on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.