stylus

American  

[stahy-luhs] / ˈstaɪ ləs /

noun

plural

styli, styluses

1. an instrument of metal, bone, or the like, used by the ancients for writing on waxed tablets, having one end pointed for incising the letters and the other end blunt for rubbing out writing and smoothing the tablet.

2. any of various pointed, pen-shaped instruments used in drawing, artwork, etc.

3. Computers. a pen-shaped device used on a display screen to input commands or handwritten text or drawings.

4. Audio.

   1. Also called cutting stylus.  a needle used for cutting grooves in making a disk recording to be played on a phonograph.

   2. a needle for reproducing the sounds of a phonograph record.

5. any of various pointed wedges used to punch holes in paper or other material, as in writing Braille.

6. any of various kinds of pens for tracing a line automatically, as on a recording seismograph or electrocardiograph.

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stylus British  

/ ˈstaɪləs /

noun

1. Also called: style.  a pointed instrument for engraving, drawing, or writing

2. a tool used in ancient times for writing on wax tablets, which was pointed at one end and blunt at the other for erasing mistakes

3. a device attached to the cartridge in the pick-up arm of a record player that rests in the groove in the record, transmitting the vibrations to the sensing device in the cartridge. It consists of or is tipped with a hard material, such as diamond or sapphire

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Other Word Forms

• stylar
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of stylus

1720–30; < Latin: spelling variant of stilus stake, pointed writing instrument; spelling with -y- from fancied derivation < Greek stŷlos column

Explanation

A stylus is a tool with a hard, pointed end that you use for writing or drawing. Today, you can also use a stylus to virtually "write" on an electronic tablet, computer, or smartphone. Styli (or styluses) were originally used in ancient Greece and Rome to scratch writing into wax tablets; the blunt end of the stylus worked as an eraser, smudging the words out. Artists also use styli for shaping clay. If you're lucky enough to have an old-fashioned record player, you know that stylus also refers to the "needle" that fits into the grooves of the record and plays it.

Example Sentences

Hurston wrote for Howard’s Stylus Magazine and co-founded the Hilltop, now one of the country’s oldest Black collegiate newspapers.

From Washington Post • Jan. 17, 2023

The G Stylus is missing an NFC chip for contactless payment, and it doesn’t have wireless charging or an IP rating for water resistance, which are all common omissions at this price.

From The Verge • Aug. 8, 2022

The 2022 Moto G Stylus offers great performance and a large screen.

From The Verge • Jul. 12, 2022

The TCL Stylus 5G is largely unremarkable, and even considering its very reasonable price, it’s hard to recommend.

From The Verge • Jun. 17, 2022

He was equally at home whether as the King in Don Cæsar de Bazan or as Tom Stylus the literary hack, in Society.

From Shadows of the Stage by Winter, William