stylus
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stylus
- /ˈstaɪ.ləs/
Rhymes with -aɪləs
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Latin stylus (“a stake or pale”). Probably not directly related to Ancient Greek στῦλος (stûlos, “a pillar”). Doublet of style.
noun styli · styluses · stilus
- An ancient writing implement consisting of a small rod with a pointed end for scratching letters on clay, wax-covered tablets or other surfaces, and a blunt end for obliterating them. [T]he pleasure of writing on wax with a stylus is exemplified by the fine, flowing hand of a Roman scribe who made out the birth certificate of Herennia Gemella, born March 128 AD.
- A small implement with a pointed end used for engraving and tracing.
- A small device resembling a pen used to input handwritten text or drawings directly into an electronic device with a touch-sensitive screen. Use the stylus to scroll up and down the list or flip through the pages left and right.
- A hard-pointed pen-shaped instrument for marking on stencils used in a mimeograph machine.
-
A hard point, typically of diamond or sapphire, following a groove in a phonograph and transmitting the recorded sound for reproduction.
Similar: needle
-
A pointed device formerly used to produce a groove in a record when recording sound.
Similar: needle
- A tool for making small dots on a piece of heavy paper, used to produce Braille writing for the blind by hand.
-
Synonym of style.
Similar: style
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: style, crayon, pencil, pointer, spear, needle, pen, stilus, stylography, stylo, stylophone, inking, stelography, stylographic pen, noctograph, solidus
Translations
Every language
noun tool for writing on clay tablets
| Español | estilo, estilete |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 첨필 cheompil, 스타일러스 seutailleoseu |
| 日本語 | スタイラス sutairasu |
| 中文 | 描畫針 /描画针 miáohuàzhēn |
| Português | estilo, estilete |
| Français | stylet, style |
| Deutsch | Schreibgriffel, Schreibspitze, Stilus |
| Italiano | stilo |
| Ελληνικά | γραφίδα grafída |
| Română | stil |
| Русский | сти́лос stílos, сти́лус stílus, стило́ stiló |
noun phonograph needle
| Español | aguja |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 唱針 /唱针 chàngzhēn |
| Português | safira, agulha |
| Français | saphir |
| Deutsch | Saphir, Grammofonnadel |
| Italiano | puntina |
| Ελληνικά | βελόνα velóna |
| Русский | иго́лка igólka |
noun pen for writing on a touch-sensitive screen
| Español | estilete, estilo, lápiz digital, lápiz óptico |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 스타일러스 seutailleoseu |
| 日本語 | スタイラス sutairasu |
| 中文 | 觸控筆 /触控笔 chùkòngbǐ, 光筆 /光笔 guāngbǐ |
| Français | stylet |
| Deutsch | Eingabestift, Stylus, Touchpen |
| Italiano | stilo |
| Ελληνικά | στυλός stylós |
| Русский | сти́лос stílos, сти́лус stílus, стило́ stiló |
Talk about this word "stylus." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/stylus. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. stylus. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/stylus "stylus." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/stylus.Cite this
@misc{stylus_2026,
title = {stylus},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/stylus},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}