stylus

/ˈstaɪləs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈstaɪləs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈstī-ləs/ (ame, mw)

stylus — noun

  • stylussingular
  • stylusesplural

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

1.名詞B2
釋義

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

例句

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.

同義詞
  • needle

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

文法句型

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

replace/clean + a/the stylus

用法筆記

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

常見錯誤

❌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.名詞B1
釋義

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

例句

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.

同義詞
  • stylus pen

    slightly redundant but common in product names

  • touchscreen pen

    describes the function rather than the form; more informal

文法句型

use a stylus + to-infinitive

write/draw + with a stylus

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

❌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.名詞C1
釋義

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

例句

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.

同義詞

文法句型

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

a stylus made of [metal/bone]

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

❌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.