cursor

American  

[kur-ser] / ˈkɜr sər /

noun

1. 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.

2. a sliding object, as the lined glass on a slide rule, that can be set at any point on a scale.

---

cursor British  

/ ˈkɜːsə /

noun

1. the sliding part of a measuring instrument, esp a transparent sliding square on a slide rule

2. 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

---

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

Example Sentences

Loeb also noted the astute venture-capital investments Bankman-Fried made in companies including Anthropic and Cursor.

From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026

SpaceX also announced a close partnership with the AI coding startup Cursor.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

And this week, PocketOS, software for car rental agencies, saw its entire customer database deleted by a Cursor AI coding agent, despite several commands and precautions that should have prevented it.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

Code X: SpaceX, which is preparing for an IPO, said it secured the right to buy AI coding startup Cursor for $60 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

Under the conduct of Papir'ius Cursor, repeated triumphs were gained.

From Pinnock's improved edition of Dr. Goldsmith's History of Rome to which is prefixed an introduction to the study of Roman history, and a great variety of valuable information added throughout the work, on the manners, institutions, and antiquities of the Romans; with numerous biographical and historical notes; and questions for examination at the end of each section. By Wm. C. Taylor. by Pinnock, William

Related Words

• dart
• missile
• projectile