Definition of stylus

• n. - An instrument for writing. See Style, n., 1.
• n. - That needle-shaped part at the tip of the playing arm of phonograph which sits in the groove of a phonograph record while it is turning, to detect the undulations in the phonograph groove and convert them into vibrations which are transmitted to a system (since 1920 electronic) which converts the signal into sound; also called needle. The stylus is frequently composed of metal or diamond.
• n. - The needle-like device used to cut the grooves which record the sound on the original disc during recording of a phonograph record.
• n. - A pen-shaped pointing device used to specify the cursor position on a graphics tablet.