plural styli
ˈstī(-ə)-ˌlī 
also styluses
ˈstī-lə-səz
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)
(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
The touch screen supports an active pen, but Dell doesn't ship a stylus with the laptop or list a compatible pen alongside it on Dell.com.
—
Matthew Smith, PCMAG, 9 July 2024
The keyboard's hinge also allows the tablet to be propped up at an angle optimized for using the stylus.
—Ben Sin, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2024
The Scribe is technically cheaper than the Remarkable 2, which starts at $299 but requires you to spend at least $79 on a stylus.
—Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 31 July 2024
The stirrers, which since 2020 have been doled out to voters to use as styluses, were ditched for environmental reasons – then readopted after the first days of early voting led some Tennesseans to accidentally select their undesired candidate because of small boxes next to the candidates' names.
—Chris Boccia, ABC News, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stylus 
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Matthew Smith, PCMAG, 9 July 2024
The keyboard's hinge also allows the tablet to be propped up at an angle optimized for using the stylus.
—Ben Sin, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2024
The Scribe is technically cheaper than the Remarkable 2, which starts at $299 but requires you to spend at least $79 on a stylus.
—Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 31 July 2024
The stirrers, which since 2020 have been doled out to voters to use as styluses, were ditched for environmental reasons – then readopted after the first days of early voting led some Tennesseans to accidentally select their undesired candidate because of small boxes next to the candidates' names.
—Chris Boccia, ABC News, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stylus
Dictionary Entries Near stylus
Cite this Entry
“Stylus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stylus. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stylus
noun
sty·lus
ˈstī-ləs
plural styli
ˈstī(ə)l-ˌī
also styluses
ˈstī-lə-səz
also styluses
ˈstī-lə-səz
1
: an instrument used by the ancients for writing on wax tablets
Medical Definition
stylus
noun
sty·lus
variants
also stilus
plural styli
ˈstī(ə)l-ˌī
also styluses
ˈstī-lə-səz
or stili or stiluses
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
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