cursor
Americannoun
-
cursors
plural
-
Digital Technology. a movable, sometimes blinking, marker that indicates the position on a display screen where the next character entered from the keyboard will appear, or where user action is possible.
-
a sliding object, as the lined glass on a slide rule, that can be set at any point on a scale.
noun
-
the sliding part of a measuring instrument, esp a transparent sliding square on a slide rule
-
any of various means, typically a flashing bar or underline, of identifying a particular position on a computer screen, such as the insertion point for text
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of cursor
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English in the earlier sense “runner, courier,” from Latin: literally, “runner, runner in a race, messenger, footman,” equivalent to cur(rere) “to run” + -sor, variant of -tor; cursor def. 2 was first recorded in 1590–1600 and cursor def. 1 in 1965–70; see origin at course, -tor
Vocabulary lists containing cursor
Computer Science and Technology - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Computer Science and Technology - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The other day, I found myself looking at a blinking cursor in a blank address bar in a new tab of my web browser.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
Companies collect vast amounts of data about consumers, including browsing history, location, device type, purchase patterns, and even how long a cursor hovers over a product.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
In the late 1990s, neurologist Philip Kennedy developed the first BCI to allow a severely paralyzed patient to move a computer cursor using their brain.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 26, 2026
With the one finger he is able to move, he controls the on-screen cursor using a trackball.
From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026
The only sounds are the breathing of the dogs and clicking of the slide rule’s cursor.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
In a presentation showcasing the Neuralink implant that Elon Musk hopes will someday connect the human brain to a computer, two monkeys were reportedly moving computer cursors with their brains.
From New York Times ● Nov. 30, 2022
The once-again en vogue giant animated cursors that chase you.
From The Verge ● Jul. 13, 2022
In December 2015, engineers in Ukrainian power stations saw cursors on their computer screens moving by themselves.
From BBC ● Jan. 27, 2022
I need a few days away from blinking cursors, and the toast popping up at the exact same moment every morning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2016
Once upon a time, when glass ttys were common and addressable cursors were something special, what is now called a dumb terminal could pass for a smart terminal.
From The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 by Guy L. Steele
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
