propelling pencil BrE
mechanical pencil AmE , also: technical pencil

He had taken out a small black leather notebook and a gold propelling pencil.

He makes a note in his notebook with the little silver propelling pencil.

He wrote the note with a small gold propelling pencil on the back of an engraved visiting card.

He tells her about the pencil-case and the four-colour propelling pencil.

He began to read, the black, fluted propelling pencil moving almost imperceptibly between his fingers.

He took out a gold propelling pencil.

He pulled a scrap pad towards the Brig and took a propelling pencil from his top pocket.

He took a gold propelling pencil from his pocket and listed upon its back the things he must do before briefing time.

His silver propelling pencil ticked the appropriate box.

In Sarah's place sat a thin-faced man scratching at the inside of his nostril with a propelling pencil.

And inside the pencil-case the management has placed something even more astonishing: a propelling pencil with four different colours in it.

She mentioned Jericho's visit of the previous night and he made a note of it with a gold propelling pencil.

Galakhov took out a small leather-bound notebook with an ivory propelling pencil.

A young man of her own age with an expressive face was tapping the end of a black, fluted propelling pencil against his teeth.

He was gently knocking his fluted plastic propelling pencil between his teeth, watching to see how far they understood him.

He puts on his reading spectacles and reaches inside his jacket for his silver propelling pencil.

Dr Joyce says seriously, clipping his silver propelling pencil back into his breast pocket.

He dug in a pocket on the leg of his suit until he found a thick block of paper and a propelling pencil.

She'd drawn them for him with eyebrow pencil on yesterday's newspaper; he'd recalled Margaret's silver propelling pencil and the small notebook she always carried.

Modesty pulled a small pad from under the dash and flicked her hand at Tarrant, who put a gold propelling pencil in it.

His body is no thicker than a propelling pencil, his legs no thicker than runner beans.

He takes a notebook from the desk top and puts it on his lap, then removes a small silver propelling pencil from his jacket's breast pocket.

As they progress to lead pencils, the Griffix propelling pencil (£6.75, pelikanpens.co.uk) has a smiley face visible when it is being correctly used.

Whereupon he picked up his silver propelling pencil in both hands and, having commiserated with it silently for a while, fed it back into the inside pocket where it lived.

Other items found with the man included a wristlet watch, handkerchief, shaving tube, studs, toothbrush, fountain pen, propelling pencil, compass, box of matches, tablets, flashlamp, and toiletries.

The tool itself looked like a big, fat mechanical pencil.

The mechanical pencil I was reading with at the time is still marking my place.

With a mechanical pencil he lightly circled a few more pictures.

He helped pioneer the use of plastics to make mechanical pencils.

Many teenage girls began to write laterally using mechanical pencils.

Mechanical pencil mechanisms use only a single lead diameter.

Andrew rolled the mechanical pencil between his palms, praying he was doing the right thing.

Mechanical pencils are popular for their longevity and the fact that they may never need sharpening.

Mechanical pencils with colored leads are relatively rare, but do exist.

The colonel pulled out a little notebook and a gold-plated mechanical pencil.

Examinees are provided with mechanical pencils, while the test booklet may be used for working problems.

I see the mechanical pencils poking out from the pocket of his plaid shirt.

Clipped to the top was a mechanical pencil.

Taking the paper from Martinez he placed it over the equations and began to scratch the surface with the mechanical pencil.

Over the years obtained many patents for mechanical pencils and pencil manufacturing processes.

I remember Jace telling me how his dad only used mechanical pencils.

An old man across the aisle was working a crossword puzzle, his mechanical pencil clicking.

Pencils in use are usually mechanical pencils with a standard lead thickness.

Inside my left shoe you'll find a gadget looking like a short mechanical pencil, damned uncomfortable to walk on.

Smaller items will include inkwells, mechanical pencils and, of course, staplers.

Wei rocked forward in his executive chair and picked up a mechanical pencil to toy with.

Between 1822 and 1874, more than 160 patents were registered pertaining to a variety of improvements to mechanical pencils.

Then he had me play the sections we'd selected, drilling me in several places and conducting with his mechanical pencil.

He fidgeted restlessly with a mechanical pencil, turning it over and over.

"I need these," Tatianna said, referring to a set of mechanical pencils.