stilus

lat. 'stilus ‘spitzer Gegenstand, Pfahl, Stiel, Stengel, Griffel zum Schreiben’, 

Probably from Proto-Italic *stiglos (which stimulus and stiva may also be related to), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg- (“to be sharp; to sting”) +‎ *-lós. In this case, related to instīgō (“to urge, stimulate, stir up”), Ancient Greek στῐ́ζω (stízō, “to mark with a pointed instrument”), Ancient Greek στῐ́γμᾰ (stígma, “mark, spot”), Proto-Germanic *stikaną (“to stick, stab”). An alternative derivation relates the word to Avestan 𐬯𐬙𐬀𐬉𐬭𐬀 (staēra, “mountaintop”).

Not related to Ancient Greek στῦλος (stûlos, “pillar; wooden pole”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈsti.lus/, [ˈs̠t̪ɪɫ̪ʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈsti.lus/, [ˈst̪iːlus]

Noun

stilus m (genitive stilī); second declension

1. (in general) a stake, pale, spike [ synonyms ▲][ quotations ▼]

   Synonyms: pālus, sudis, tālea, vallus

1. 1. (agriculture) a pointed instrument for freeing plants from worms or from shoots which grow too rankly [ quotations ▼]
   2. (botany) a stem, stalk [ quotations ▼]
2. (in particular) a stylus or pencil used for writing on waxen tablets [ quotations ▼]
   1. (transferred sense):
      1. an act of setting down in writing, composing, composition; the practice of composing; a manner of writing, mode of composition[ synonyms ▲][ quotations ▼]

         Synonyms: scriptiō, scriptūra

      2. a style in speaking, manner of speaking, mode of expression [ quotations ▼]
      3. a decision, verdict, opinion

Inflection

Second-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	stilus	stilī
Genitive	stilī	stilōrum
Dative	stilō	stilīs
Accusative	stilum	stilōs
Ablative	stilō	stilīs
Vocative	stile	stilī

Derived terms

• stilō (verb)