# cursor

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkɜːsə/ · frequency rank #25,726

## Definitions
1. A part of any of several scientific or measuring instruments that moves back and forth to indicate a position.
2. A moving icon or other representation, usually called a pointer, of the position of the pointing device.
3. An indicator, often a blinking line or bar, indicating where the next insertion or other edit will take place.
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.
5. A design pattern in object oriented methodology in which a collection is iterated uniformly.

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

## Easily confused with
- **cursory** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cursor-vs-cursory)
- **curse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/curse-vs-cursor)
- **Corso** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/corso-vs-cursor)
- **Carson** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/carson-vs-cursor)
- **cursed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cursed-vs-cursor)
- **censor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/censor-vs-cursor)
- **curses** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/curses-vs-cursor)
- **curator** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/curator-vs-cursor)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ccursor`, `crusor`, `curosr`, `currsor`, `cursorr`, `cursro`, `curssor`, `cusror`, `ucrsor`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cursor