Editing Stylus (section)

{{Short description|Writing utensil or small tool for marking or shaping}}
{{about|a writing utensil|the pointing device|Stylus (computing)|other uses}}
{{redirect-distinguish|Stylus pen|Digital pen}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2016}}
[[File:Table with was and stylus Roman times.jpg|thumbnail|300px| [[Wax tablet]] and a Roman stylus]]

A '''stylus'''{{efn | name="plurals" | Plural: styli or styluses<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stylus|title=Stylus – Define Stylus at Dictionary.com|work=Dictionary.com}}</ref>}} is a [[writing utensil]] or tool for scribing or marking into softer materials. Different styluses were used to write in [[cuneiform]] by pressing into wet clay, and to scribe or carve into a [[wax tablet]]. Very hard styluses are also used to [[Engraving|engrave]] metal, and the [[slate and stylus]] system is used to punch out dots to write in [[Braille]].<ref name="AFB">{{cite web | title =What is Braille? | publisher =[[American Foundation for the Blind]] | url =http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=6&TopicID=199 | format =web | access-date =2008-04-02 | archive-date =2007-11-19 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20071119071934/http://afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=6&TopicID=199 | url-status =dead }}</ref>

Styluses are held in the hand and thus are usually a narrow elongated shape, similar to a modern [[ballpoint pen]]. Many styluses are heavily curved to be held more easily. 

The word ''stylus'' is also used to describe [[Stylus (computing)|computer styluses]] used to assist in navigating or providing more precision when using [[touchscreen]]s.