cursor
Americannoun
-
cursors
plural
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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.
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a sliding object, as the lined glass on a slide rule, that can be set at any point on a scale.
noun
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the sliding part of a measuring instrument, esp a transparent sliding square on a slide rule
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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
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Computer Science and Technology - Middle School
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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 already, including browsing history, location, device type, purchase patterns, even how long your cursor hovers over a product.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
In trials, patients have demonstrated thought-controlled cursor navigation and robotic arm manipulation -- genuine breakthroughs, although ethicists and regulators have raised questions about privacy and long-term safety.
From Barron's ● May 20, 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
Then Chess saw that Emma had the cursor hovering over a file marked “FOR THE KIDS.”
From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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
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
I also repeatedly encountered issues with it, including jumping cursors and unregistered clicks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 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
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