Definition of stylus
: 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
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Test Your Vocabulary
Name that Thing: Flower Edition
-
- Name that flower

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Spell words. Make bears.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Share stylus
Time Traveler for stylus
The first known use of stylus was in 1773
See more words from the same year