stylus

thumbnail|300px| Wax tablet and a Roman stylus

A stylus is a writing utensil or tool for scribing or marking into softer materials. Different styluses were used to write in cuneiform by pressing into wet clay, and to scribe or carve into a wax tablet. Very hard styluses are also used to engrave metal, and the slate and stylus system is used to punch out dots to write in Braille.