If you are running a graphics-based program, the cursor may appear as a small arrow, called a pointer. (The terms cursor and pointer are often used interchangeably.) In text processing, a cursor sometimes appears as an I-beam pointer, a special type of pointer that always appears between two characters. Note also that programs that support a mouse may use two cursors: a text cursor, which indicates where characters from the keyboard will be entered, and a mouse cursor for selecting items with the mouse.

(2) A device, similar in appearance to a mouse, that is used to sketch lines on a digitizing tablet. Cursors for digitizing tablets are sometimes called pucks.

(3) In some database languages, short for current set of records, the currently selected set of records.