First Known Use: 1773
Dictionary
stylus
noun sty·lus \ˈstī-ləs\
: a very small, pointed piece of metal that touches a record and produces sound when the record is played
: a tool used long ago for writing on clay or wax tablets
: a small tool that is used to write or touch buttons on a computer
plural sty·li \ˈstī(-ə)-ˌlī\ also sty·lus·es \ˈstī-lə-səz\
Full Definition of STYLUS
: an instrument for writing, marking, or incising: as a : an instrument used by the ancients in writing on clay or waxed tablets b : a hard-pointed pen-shaped instrument for marking on stencils used in a reproducing machine c (1) : needle 3c (2) : a cutting tool used to produce an original record groove during disc recording d : a pen-shaped pointing device used for entering data (as positional information from a graphics tablet) into a computer
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Origin of STYLUS
Latin stylus, stilus spike, stylus — more at style
STYLUSES Defined for Kids
stylus
noun sty·lus \ˈstī-ləs\
plural sty·li \-ˌlī\ also sty·lus·es
Definition of STYLUS for Kids
: a pointed instrument used in ancient times for writing on wax tablets
Medical Dictionary
stylus
noun sty·lus
plural sty·li \ˈstī(ə)l-ˌī\ also sty·lus·es \ˈstī-lə-səz\ or sti·li or sti·lus·es
Medical Definition of STYLUS
: an instrument for writing, marking, or incising: as a : a hard-pointed instrument for punching the dots in writing braille with a braille slate b : a device that traces a recording (as of an electrocardiograph) on paper
Variants of STYLUS
sty·lus also sti·lus \ˈstī-ləs\
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