stylus

plural styli · plural styluses · alternative stilus

1. communicationsAn 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.

   2013 September 14, Jane Shilling, “The Golden Thread: the Story of Writing, by Ewan Clayton, review”, in The Telegraph

   1 more example

   But that tactic may have older roots than we thought; archaeologists have discovered an iron stylus in London, complete with an inscribed joke, that dates back nearly 2,000 years. Of 200 styluses found at a site under Bloomberg’s new European headquarters, only one – dating back to around 70 A.D. – had a message inscribed onto it.

   2019 July 28, Rob Picheta, “Ancient Roman pen with an inscribed joke found under streets of London”, in CNN

   1. communicationsA small implement with a pointed end used for engraving and tracing.
   2. communicationsA 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.

      2008, “PDA”, in Cory in the House: Instruction Booklet, Burbank, California: Disney Interactive Studios; Nintendo, page 10

      1 more example

      It’s the cheapest stylus Apple’s released yet, but you’ll need a USB-C iPad to use it.

      2023 October 19, Mike Andronico, “Apple just revealed a new $79 Apple Pencil with USB-C — but is it right for you?”, in CNN

2. A hard-pointed pen-shaped instrument for marking on stencils used in a mimeograph machine.
3. A hard point, typically of diamond or sapphire, following a groove in a phonograph and transmitting the recorded sound for reproduction.

   Synonyms: needle

   1. A pointed device formerly used to produce a groove in a record when recording sound.

      Synonyms: needle

4. A tool for making small dots on a piece of heavy paper, used to produce Braille writing for the blind by hand.
5. biologySynonym of style.

   Synonyms: style