Naming

The first known publication of the term "mouse" as a pointing device is in Bill English's 1965 publication "Computer-Aided Display Control".^[2]

The Compact Oxford English Dictionary (third edition) and the fourth edition of The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Languageendorse both computer mice and computer mouses as correct plural forms for computer mouse. Some authors of technical documents may prefer either mouse devices or the more generic pointing devices. The plural mouses treats mouse as a "headless noun".

Two manuals of style in the computer industry—Sun Technical Publication's Read Me First: A Style Guide for the Computer Industry andMicrosoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications from Microsoft Press—recommend that technical writers use the term mouse devicesinstead of the alternatives.^{[citation needed]}