English
point
see also: Point
Pronunciation
  • (British, GA) enPR: point, IPA: /pɔɪnt/
Noun

point (plural points)

  1. A discrete division of something.
    1. An individual element in a larger whole; a particular detail, thought, or quality. [from 13th c.]
      The Congress debated the finer points of the bill.
    2. A particular moment in an event or occurrence; a juncture. [from 13th c.]
      There comes a point in a marathon when some people give up.
      At this point in the meeting, I'd like to propose a new item for the agenda.
    3. (archaic) Condition, state. [from 13th c.]
      She was not feeling in good point.
    4. A topic of discussion or debate; a proposition. [from 14th c.]
      I made the point that we all had an interest to protect.
    5. A focus of conversation or consideration; the main idea.
      The point is that we should stay together, whatever happens.
    6. A purpose or objective, which makes something meaningful. [from 14th c.]
      Since the decision has already been made, I see little point in further discussion.
    7. (obsolete) The smallest quantity of something; a jot, a whit. [14th-17th c.]
    8. (obsolete) A tiny amount of time; a moment. [14th-17th c.]
    9. A specific location or place, seen as a spatial position. [from 14th c.]
      We should meet at a pre-arranged point.
    10. (mathematics, science) A zero-dimensional mathematical object representing a location in one or more dimensions; something considered to have position but no magnitude or direction. [from 14th c.]
    11. A full stop or other terminal punctuation mark. [from 14th c.]
    12. (music) A dot or mark used to designate certain tones or time. In ancient music, it distinguished or characterized certain tones or styles (points of perfection, of augmentation, etc.). In modern music, it is placed on the right of a note to raise its value, or prolong its time, by one half.
    13. (by extension) A note; a tune.
    14. A distinguishing quality or characteristic. [from 15th c.]
      Logic isn't my strong point.
    15. (in the plural, dated) The chief or excellent features.
      the points of a horse
    16. Something tiny, as a pinprick; a very small mark. [from 15th c.]
      The stars showed as tiny points of yellow light.
    17. (now only in phrases) A tenth; formerly also a twelfth. [from 17th c.]
      Possession is nine points of the law.
    18. Each of the marks or strokes written above letters, especially in Semitic languages, to indicate vowels, stress etc. [from 17th c.]
    19. (sports, video games, board games) A unit of scoring in a game or competition. [from 18th c.]
      The one with the most points will win the game
    20. (mathematics) A decimal point (now especially when reading decimal fractions aloud). [from 18th c.]
      10.5 is "ten point five", or ten and a half.
    21. (economics) A unit used to express differences in prices of stocks and shares. [from 19th c.]
    22. (typography) a unit of measure equal to 1/12 of a pica, or approximately 1/72 of an inch (exactly 1/72 of an inch in the digital era). [from 19th c.]
    23. (UK) An electric power socket. [from 20th c.]
    24. (navigation, nautical) A unit of bearing equal to one thirty-second of a circle, i.e. 11.25°.
      Ship ahoy, three points off the starboard bow!
    25. (UK) A unit of measure for rain, equal to 0.254 mm or 0.01 of an inch.
  2. A sharp extremity.
    1. The sharp tip of an object. [from 14th c.]
      Cut the skin with the point of the knife.
    2. Any projecting extremity of an object. [from 14th c.]
    3. An object which has a sharp or tapering tip. [from 14th c.]
      His cowboy belt was studded with points.
    4. (backgammon) Each of the twelve triangular positions in either table of a backgammon board, on which the stones are played. [from 15th c.]
    5. A peninsula or promontory. [from 15th c.]
    6. The position at the front or vanguard of an advancing force. [from 16th c.]
    7. Each of the main directions on a compass, usually considered to be 32 in number; a direction. [from 16th c.]
    8. (nautical) The difference between two points of the compass.
      to fall off a point
    9. Pointedness of speech or writing; a penetrating or decisive quality of expression. [from 17th c.]
    10. (railroads, UK, in the plural) A railroad switch. [from 19th c.]
    11. (usually, in the plural) An area of contrasting colour on an animal, especially a dog; a marking. [from 19th c.]
      The point color of that cat was a deep, rich sable.
    12. A tine or snag of an antler.
    13. (fencing) A movement executed with the sabre or foil.
      tierce point
  3. (heraldry) One of the several different parts of the escutcheon.
  4. (nautical) A short piece of cordage used in reefing sails.
  5. (historical) A string or lace used to tie together certain garments.
  6. Lace worked by the needle.
    point de Venise; Brussels point
  7. (US, slang, dated) An item of private information; a hint; a tip; a pointer.
  8. The attitude assumed by a pointer dog when he finds game.
    The dog came to a point.
  9. (falconry) The perpendicular rising of a hawk over the place where its prey has gone into cover.
  10. The act of pointing, as of the foot downward in certain dance positions.
  11. The gesture of extending the index finger in a direction in order to indicate something.
    • 2005, Marc Marschark, Patricia Elizabeth Spencer, Oxford handbook of deaf studies, language, and education
      […] DCDP children are exposed to more points and gesturelike signs in their linguistic environment […]
  12. (medicine, obsolete) A vaccine point.
  13. In various sports, a position of a certain player, or, by extension, the player occupying that position.
    1. (cricket) A fielding position square of the wicket on the off side, between gully and cover. [from 19th c.]
    2. (lacrosse, ice hockey) The position of the player of each side who stands a short distance in front of the goalkeeper.
    3. (baseball) The position of the pitcher and catcher.
    4. (hunting) A spot to which a straight run is made; hence, a straight run from point to point; a cross-country run.
Synonyms Translations
  • Russian: пункт
Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations
  • French: point
  • Portuguese: pontinha
Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Verb

point (points, present participle pointing; past and past participle pointed)

  1. (intransitive) To extend the index finger in the direction of something in order to show where it is or to draw attention to it.
    • c. 1590–1592, William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act 3, scene 2]:
      Now must the world point at poor Katharine.
    It's rude to point at other people.
  2. (intransitive) To draw attention to something or indicate a direction.
    The arrow of a compass points north
    The skis were pointing uphill.
    The arrow on the map points towards the entrance
  3. (intransitive) To face in a particular direction.
  4. (transitive, sometimes, figurative) To direct toward an object; to aim.
    to point a gun at a wolf, or a cannon at a fort
    • 1853, Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons, Parliamentary Papers (volume 11, page 267)
      Mr. Fitzsimons pointed my attention to an outside car on which was written, "Take warning," or something of that kind, and he pointed that out to me, and drew my attention to it, as a thing likely to intimidate […]
  5. To give a point to; to sharpen; to cut, forge, grind, or file to an acute end.
    to point a dart, a pencil, or (figuratively) a moral
  6. (intransitive) To indicate a probability of something.
  7. (ambitransitive, masonry) To repair mortar.
  8. (transitive, masonry) To fill up and finish the joints of (a wall), by introducing additional cement or mortar, and bringing it to a smooth surface.
  9. (stone-cutting) To cut, as a surface, with a pointed tool.
  10. (transitive) To direct or encourage (someone) in a particular direction.
    If he asks for food, point him toward the refrigerator.
  11. (transitive, mathematics) To separate an integer from a decimal with a decimal point.
  12. (transitive) To mark with diacritics.
  13. (dated) To supply with punctuation marks; to punctuate.
    to point a composition
  14. (transitive, computing) To direct the central processing unit to seek information at a certain location in memory.
  15. (transitive, Internet) To direct requests sent to a domain name to the IP address corresponding to that domain name.
  16. (intransitive, nautical) To sail close to the wind.
    Bear off a little, we're pointing.
  17. (intransitive, hunting) To indicate the presence of game by a fixed and steady look, as certain hunting dogs do.
  18. (medicine, of an abscess) To approximate to the surface; to head.
  19. (dated) To give point to (something said or done); to give particular prominence or force to.
    • 1924, EM Forster, A Passage to India, Penguin 2005, p. 85:
      ‘Oh, it is the great defect in our Indian character!’ – and, as if to point his criticism, the lights of the Civil Station appeared on a rise to the right.
Translations Translations Verb

point (points, present participle pointing; past and past participle pointed)

  1. (obsolete) To appoint.
Point
Proper noun
  1. (informal, military) USMA (United States Military Academy) in West Point, New York.
    • 2017, Charles King, Cadet Days
      Study goes on until tattoo, which, when Pops was at the Point, was sounded at 9.30, followed by taps at 10.


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