# mouse (0-mouse.org)

A small rodent people sometimes keep as a pet. Also the handheld pointing device you move on a desk to control a cursor on screen.

## What a model may hear
- input device (hardware, operating systems): Assume the user wants to configure pointer speed, buttons, or scroll wheel behavior
- computer mouse event (GUI programming, JavaScript, Python tkinter): Listen for click, drag, hover, or scroll events and write handler code
- laboratory mouse (biology, genetics, medical research): Pull in data about Mus musculus, gene knockouts, or experimental protocols
- mouse pointer cursor (CSS, UI design): Change the cursor shape with CSS properties like cursor: pointer
- quiet person (literary, everyday speech): Interpret as a personality description, not a technical request

## Where people and models part ways
- Says: "My mouse is broken"
  Means: The physical device stopped working
  May be taken as: Generate code to debug software mouse events or remap virtual buttons
  Say instead: "My physical computer mouse stopped moving the cursor"
- Says: "I need a mouse"
  Means: Buy a new pointing device
  May be taken as: Recommend laboratory mice suppliers or biological specimen sources
  Say instead: "I need to buy a new computer mouse for my desk"
- Says: "The mouse moved"
  Means: I saw a rodent or I moved the device
  May be taken as: Write a program tracking on-screen cursor coordinates
  Say instead: "A rodent mouse moved across my floor, or I moved my hand on the mouse"
- Says: "Make the mouse bigger"
  Means: I want a larger pointer on screen
  May be taken as: Suggest buying a larger physical device or changing a pet cage
  Say instead: "Make my on-screen mouse cursor larger in my operating system settings"

## Tips
- Say 'computer mouse' or 'cursor' when you mean the device, not the animal
- Say 'on-screen pointer' or 'cursor' to avoid confusion with the hardware
- In programming requests, name the language and say 'mouse event' or 'click handler'
- Say 'lab mouse' or 'pet mouse' when you mean the living animal
- Specify 'physical device' if you are troubleshooting hardware problems

## Often confused with
- cursor: the on-screen arrow, not the handheld device
- trackpad: built-in touch surface, not a separate device
- rat: larger rodent, not a pointing device term
- pointer: often means cursor, not the hardware
- touchpad: laptop input, not external mouse
- click: an action you do, not the device itself