Standard Lemma guide

cursor

noun · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australian, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈkɜːsə/
  • Australian, Received-Pronunciation: [ˈkhɜːsə]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈkɜɹsəɹ/
  • Canada, General-American: [ˈkhɝsɚ]
  • rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)sə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: K ER1 S ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A part of any of several scientific or measuring instruments that moves back and forth to indicate a position.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A moving icon or other representation of the position of the pointing device.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, graphical-user-interface, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pointer

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An indicator, often a blinking line or bar, indicating where the next insertion or other edit will take place.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: caret

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A reference to a row of data in a table, which moves from row to row as data is retrieved by way of it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, databases, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A design pattern in object oriented methodology in which a collection is iterated uniformly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, programming, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: iterator pattern

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To navigate by means of the cursor keys.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

(computer science) indicator consisting of a movable spot of light (an icon) on a visual display; moving it allows the user to point to commands or screen positions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pointer

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: indicator

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin cursor (“runner”), from currō (“run”) + -or (agentive suffix). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European.

Across languages

Translations

105 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مُؤَشِّر (muʔaššir) — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Bulgarian: стрелка́ (strelká) — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Chinese Mandarin: 遊標 /游标 or 游標 /游标 (yóubiāo) — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Chinese Mandarin: 光標 /光标 (guāngbiāo) — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Finnish: osoitin — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • French: curseur — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Galician: cursor — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • German: Cursor — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • German: Läufer — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Greek: δείκτης (deíktis) — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Japanese: カーソル (kāsoru) — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Korean: 커서 (keoseo) — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Lithuanian: žymeklis — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Māori: pehu — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Norman: curseu — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Norwegian Bokmål: markør — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Portuguese: cursor — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Romanian: cursor — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Russian: курсо́р (kursór) — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Russian: стре́лка (strélka) — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Russian: указа́тель (ukazátelʹ) — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Russian: движо́к (dvižók) — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Spanish: cursor — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Welsh: cyrchydd — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Welsh: rhedell — part of scientific instruments that indicates position
  • Armenian: նշորդ (nšord) — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Belarusian: курсо́р (kursór) — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Bulgarian: ку́рсор (kúrsor) — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Catalan: cursor — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Chinese Mandarin: 游標 /游标 (yóubiāo) — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Cornish: resell — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Danish: musepil — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Danish: pil — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Danish: markør — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Dutch: muisaanwijzer — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Dutch: cursor — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Esperanto: kursoro — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Esperanto: muskursoro — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Finnish: osoitin — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • French: curseur — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • German: Mauszeiger — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Greek: δρομέας (droméas) — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Greek: κέρσορας (kérsoras) — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Hebrew: סמן (samán) — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Hungarian: kurzor — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Icelandic: bendill — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Icelandic: músarbendill — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Japanese: カーソル (kāsoru) — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Korean: 커서 (keoseo) — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Māori: pehu — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Polish: kursor — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Portuguese: cursor — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Portuguese: ponteiro — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Russian: курсо́р (kursór) — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Slovene: kazalnik — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Slovene: kurzor — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Spanish: cursor — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Spanish: puntero — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Swedish: muspekare — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Swedish: pekare — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Turkish: imleç — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Ukrainian: курсо́р (kursór) — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Vietnamese: con trỏ — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Welsh: cyrchwr — GUI: moving icon representing the position of a pointing device
  • Armenian: նշորդ (nšord) — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Belarusian: курсо́р (kursór) — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Chinese Mandarin: 游標 /游标 (yóubiāo) — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Danish: musepil — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Danish: pil — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Danish: markør — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Esperanto: kursoro — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Finnish: kohdistin — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Finnish: kursori — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • German: Schreibmarke — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Greek: δρομέας (droméas) — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Greek: δείκτης (deíktis) — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Hebrew: סַמָּן (samán) — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Icelandic: bendill — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Icelandic: músarbendill — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Italian: puntatore — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Italian: cursore — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Japanese: カーソル (kāsoru) — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Kazakh: меңзер (meñzer) — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Korean: 커서 (keoseo) — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Norwegian Bokmål: markør — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: markør — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Polish: kursor — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Romanian: cursor — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Russian: курсо́р (kursór) — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Russian: каре́тка (karétka) — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Slovene: kurzor — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Spanish: cursor — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Swedish: markör — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Swedish: insättningspunkt — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Ukrainian: курсо́р (kursór) — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Vietnamese: con nháy — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Welsh: cyrchwr — computing: indicator of where the next insertation or other edit will take place
  • Chinese Mandarin: 指標 /指标 (zhǐbiāo) — database: reference to a row
  • Esperanto: kursoro — database: reference to a row
  • Icelandic: bendir — database: reference to a row
  • Russian: курсо́р (kursór) — database: reference to a row
  • Spanish: cursor — database: reference to a row
  • Finnish: kohdistin — programming: iterator pattern
  • Finnish: iteraattori — programming: iterator pattern
  • Russian: курсо́р (kursór) — programming: iterator pattern