cursor

[ kur-ser ]

noun

1. Digital Technology. a movable, sometimes blinking, marker that indicates the position on a display screen where the next character entered from the keyboard will appear, or where user action is possible.
2. a sliding object, as the lined glass on a slide rule, that can be set at any point on a scale.

cursor

/ ˈkɜːsə /

noun

1. the sliding part of a measuring instrument, esp a transparent sliding square on a slide rule
2. any of various means, typically a flashing bar or underline, of identifying a particular position on a computer screen, such as the insertion point for text

Word History and Origins

Origin of cursor¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English in the earlier sense “runner, courier,” from Latin: literally, “runner, runner in a race, messenger, footman,” equivalent to cur(rere) “to run” + -sor, variant of -tor; cursor def 2 was first recorded in 1590–1600 and cursor def 1 in 1965–70; course, -tor

Example Sentences

A paralyzed Arizona man became the first human to receive the implant in January and has since moved a cursor, browsed the internet and played video games with this thoughts.

From Los Angeles Times

Working with engineers, Mr. Arbaugh, 30, trained computer programs to translate the firing of neurons in his brain into the act of moving a cursor up, down and around.

From New York Times

He appeared in the video beside Neuralink’s brain interface software lead Bliss Chapman, and answered questions about how the technology worked, saying that it required him to “imagine the cursor moving”.

From BBC

By the early 2000s monkeys were being trained to move a cursor around a computer screen using just their thoughts.

From BBC

The initial goal of the so-called brain computer interface is to give people the ability to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts alone.

From Seattle Times

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