Words / B2

KURS-uh/ˈkɜːsə/

A cursor is the moving marker on a computer screen that shows where you are typing or clicking: the cursor; cursor position. Pointer is a close twin for the mouse arrow; caret is the text insertion mark. Describe where the cursor was in the usability test. Mix-up: curator (already in the dictionary); curse. Do not write cursor for a paper bookmark.

Meaning

The moving marker on a computer screen that shows where you are typing or clicking.

Examples

• “Describe where the cursor was in the usability test, not a brand of mouse.”
• “The blinking cursor showed the insertion point, which is the text-marker sense.”

Good to know

the cursor; move / click with the cursor; cursor position. Close: pointer. Trap: curator / curse. ICT and design. The on-screen marker, not a museum curator.

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