styl-

1 of 2

combining form

variants or styli- or stylo-
: style : styloid process
stylopodium
stylography

stylus

2 of 2

noun

sty·​lus ˈstī-ləs How to pronounce stylus (audio)
plural styli ˈstī(-ə)-ˌlī How to pronounce stylus (audio) also styluses ˈstī-lə-səz How to pronounce stylus (audio)
: 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)
: needle sense 3c
(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 styl- in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Gurman also noted that Steve Jobs famously said that nobody wants a stylus for a phone. — David Phelan, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Last, Motorola's foldable supports an active stylus, which gives it a small advantage, even though the stylus is a $100 accessory. — Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026 Reading on a beach chair in the shade using the Kobo Libra Colour (8/10 WIRED Recommends), which is waterproof, has color E Ink, and has a mode for doodling down ideas with a stylus. — Martin Cizmar, Wired News, 18 June 2026 The Pro starts at $1,499 with 256GB of storage (before adding a keyboard or stylus), and the Laptop starts at $1,599 with a 512GB SSD — each with 16GB of RAM, with configs that go much higher. — Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for styl-

Word History

Etymology

Combining form

Latin stilus spike, stem — more at style

Noun

Latin stylus, stilus spike, stylus — more at style

First Known Use

Noun

1773, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of styl- was in 1773

Rhymes for styl-

See All Rhymes for styl-

Browse Nearby Words

stygian
styl-
stylar
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Styl-.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/styl-. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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