stylus

noun

sty·​lus ˈstī-ləs 

plural styli ˈstī(-ə)-ˌlī  also styluses ˈstī-lə-səz 

: an instrument for writing, marking, or incising: such as

a

: an instrument used by the ancients in writing on clay or waxed tablets

b

: a hard-pointed pen-shaped instrument for marking on stencils used in a reproducing machine

c(1)

: needle sense 3c

(2)

: a cutting tool used to produce an original record groove during disc recording

d

: a pen-shaped pointing device used for entering data (such as positional information from a graphics tablet) into a computer

Examples of stylus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Though a diamond stylus follows the grooves as the record spins on the direct-drive platter, there are no magnets or coils in the wings to convert minute vibrations into a usable signal that's ready for amplification. —New Atlas, 17 Aug. 2025

Both the Fire 10 and the Fire 11 support the Made for Amazon stylus pen. —Scott Gilbertson, Wired News, 20 July 2025

The device came with a stylus for the large display, too. —PC Magazine, 4 Aug. 2025

That was always a tough sell, as there was no place to store a stylus in the phone, and even Samsung's bulky Z Fold cases struggled to accommodate the S Pen in a convenient way. —ArsTechnica, 31 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin stylus, stilus spike, stylus — more at style

First Known Use

1773, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stylus

• eyeless
• majlis
• xylose

Kids Definition

stylus

noun

sty·​lus ˈstī-ləs 

plural styli ˈstī(ə)l-ˌī  also styluses ˈstī-lə-səz 

1

: an instrument used by the ancients for writing on wax tablets

2

: needle entry 1 sense 4

Medical Definition

stylus

noun

sty·​lus

variants also stilus

ˈstī-ləs 

plural styli ˈstī(ə)l-ˌī  also styluses ˈstī-lə-səz  or stili or stiluses

: an instrument for writing, marking, or incising: as

a

: a hard-pointed instrument for punching the dots in writing braille with a braille slate

b

: a device that traces a recording (as of an electrocardiograph) on paper