stylus

stylus — noun

1. the sharp, thin piece inside a turntable's arm that follows the record's grooves

1.nounB2
Definition

the sharp, thin piece inside a turntable's arm that follows the record's grooves and changes the stored audio into electrical signals

Example

Selim replaced the worn stylus on his record player to stop the skipping sound.

replace the stylus on [device]

Every time Beatrix played her favorite jazz album, the stylus tracked smoothly through the grooves.

Common collocations
  • replace a stylus
  • stylus on the record
  • worn stylus
Synonyms
  • needle

    more common in everyday speech for the same record-player component

Grammar Patterns

the stylus + verb (rests, tracks, picks up)

replace/clean + a/the stylus

Usage Note

Commonly called a 'needle' in everyday conversation. The term 'stylus' is more technical and appears in manuals or product descriptions.

Common Mistakes

I need to clean the stylus record before playing.
I need to clean the stylus before playing the record.
The stylus is the needle part; the object that spins is the record.

2. a thin rod, often with a soft or rounded tip, used to press, draw, or write on t

2.nounB1
Definition

a thin rod, often with a soft or rounded tip, used to press, draw, or write on the touchscreen of a tablet, smartphone, or similar electronic device

Example

Hana uses a fine-tipped stylus to sketch digital portraits on her graphics tablet.

use a stylus + to-infinitive for purpose

Matthew prefers writing Chinese characters with a stylus because his handwriting looks better on screen.

Common collocations
  • use a stylus
  • write with a stylus
  • stylus tip
  • fine-tipped stylus
  • plastic stylus
Synonyms
  • stylus pen

    slightly redundant but common in product names

  • touchscreen pen

    describes the function rather than the form; more informal

Grammar Patterns

use a stylus + to-infinitive

write/draw + with a stylus

Usage Note

The device itself is often simply called a 'stylus' in product names. Do not confuse with a regular pen — a stylus works on touchscreens and does not contain ink.

Common Mistakes

I write with a stylus pen on paper.
I write with a stylus on my tablet screen.
A touchscreen stylus does not write on regular paper; it needs an electronic touchscreen.

3. a sharp, thin instrument used in ancient times for making marks or letters by pr

3.nounC1
Definition

a sharp, thin instrument used in ancient times for making marks or letters by pressing into soft surfaces such as clay or wax

Example

A bronze stylus in the museum once helped a Roman scribe write on wax tablets.

stylus for writing on [material]: wax tablets

Lotte studied the ancient stylus behind the glass case and imagined using it on wax.

Common collocations
  • bronze stylus
  • iron stylus
  • wax tablet and stylus
  • inscribe with a stylus
  • metal stylus
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

write/inscribe + with a stylus + on [material]

a stylus made of [metal/bone]

Usage Note

This historical meaning is the original sense from which the modern uses developed. It now appears mostly in archaeology, museum descriptions, or historical writing contexts.

Common Mistakes

The artist used a stylus to paint on the canvas.
The ancient scribe used a stylus to write on the wax tablet.
A stylus in this sense is not a modern paintbrush but a historical tool for pressing marks into soft surfaces like wax or clay.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

These terms all refer to tools for input on digital screens, but they differ in register and specificity. 'Stylus' is the general, neutral term for any pointed tool that replaces finger input on a screen. 'Stylus pen' is slightly redundant but common in product packaging and catalog listings. 'Touchscreen pen' describes the tool by its purpose rather than its shape and is more common in informal contexts or when speaking to non-technical users. 'Digital pen' often implies a more advanced device with pressure sensitivity, memory, or wireless connectivity, used by professional artists or note-takers. 'Smart pen' adds recording and syncing features. For example, a restaurant order pad uses a simple plastic stylus, while a graphic designer uses a digital pen with pressure sensitivity on a tablet.

stylus pentouchscreen pendigital pensmart pen

Common collocations

Nouns

  • stylus tip
  • stylus input
  • stylus pen

Phrases

  • use a stylus
  • write with a stylus
  • draw with a stylus

Prepositions

  • with a stylus
  • on [surface/tablet/record]

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The word comes from Latin 'stilus', meaning a pointed instrument for writing on wax tablets. The spelling 'stylus' arose from confusion with the unrelated Greek word 'stylos' (a pillar). English adopted 'stylus' for writing tools in the 1700s and later extended its use to record players and then to digital touchscreen devices.