stylus
stylus Lexical Profile
stylus Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A pen-like instrument used to input commands, draw, or write on a computer touchscreen, graphic tablet, or mobile device.
"She used a digital stylus to precisely shade the digital portrait on her tablet."
A tiny pointed needle, typically tipped with diamond or sapphire, used to trace the grooves on a phonograph record to reproduce sound.
"The DJ carefully lowered the tonearm so the stylus could drop onto the spinning vinyl record."
An ancient writing implement, usually made of metal, bone, or wood, consisting of a small rod with a pointed end for scratching letters on wax-covered tablets.
"Roman scribes commonly kept a stylus behind their ear to quickly record transactions on wax tablets."
Word Nuance & Usage
The plural can be either 'styluses' or 'styli'; 'styluses' is widely preferred in consumer electronics, while 'styli' is occasionally retained in academic or historical contexts.
• Rhymes for stylus
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Latin 'stilus' (a stake or pointed instrument for writing), which was later misspelled as 'stylus' due to an incorrect association with the Greek word 'stylos' (pillar).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.