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
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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:
For me, among so many other things, I enjoy without measure watching great reporters crack their knuckles and create a saga where once stood a blinking cursor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
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
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
I stare at the blinking cursor on the computer screen, and I type in my paradox and hit Send.
From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King
But some workers swear by mouse docks, like one made by Tech8 USA, that keep cursors moving.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
The once-again en vogue giant animated cursors that chase you.
From The Verge ● Jul. 13, 2022
He can turn typing fingers and blinking cursors into the stuff of quietly engrossing drama.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 9, 2022
In December 2015, engineers in Ukrainian power stations saw cursors on their computer screens moving by themselves.
From BBC ● Jan. 27, 2022
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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