| stylus | An instrument for writing. See Style. 2. 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. 3. The needle-like device used to cut the grooves which record the sound on the original disc during recording of a phonograph record. 4. (Computers) A pen-shaped pointing device used to specify the cursor position on a graphics tablet. Origin: L. Stylus, or better stilus. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| stylus tracing | A tracing of mandibular movements made by means of a device attached to the opposing arches; its shape resembles that of an arrowhead or a Gothic arch, and when the instrument's marking point is at the apex of the arch, the jaws are considered to be in centric relation. Synonym: arrow point tracing, Gothic arch tracing, Gothic arch, stylus tracing. (05 Mar 2000) |