Point Definition

point

English

Etymology

From Middle English point, from Old French point (“a point, dot, full stop, period, speck, hole, stitch, point of time, moment, difficulty, etc.”), from Latin punctum (“a point, puncture”), prop. a hole punched in, substantive use of punctus, perfect passive participle of pungō (“I prick, punch”). Displaced native Middle English ord "point" (from Old English ord "point").

Pronunciation

• enPR: point, IPA: /ˈpɔɪnt/, SAMPA: /"pOInt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔɪnt

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, a focus of conversation or consideration. [from 14th c.]

      I made the point that we all had an interest to protect.

   5. (obsolete) The smallest quantity of something; a jot, a whit. [14th-17th c.]
      • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, I.ii:

        full large of limbe and euery ioint / He was, and cared not for God or man a point.

   6. (obsolete) A tiny amount of time; a moment. [14th-17th c.]
   7. A specific location or place, seen as a spatial position. [from 14th c.]

      We should meet at a pre-arranged point.

   8. (mathematics, sciences) 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.]
   9. A purpose or objective. [from 14th c.]

      Since the decision has already been made, I see little point in further discussion.

   10. A full stop or other terminal punctuation mark. [from 14th c.]
   11. A distinguishing quality or characteristic. [from 15th c.]

       Logic isn't my strong point.

   12. Something tiny, as a pinprick; a very small mark. [from 15th c.]

       The stars showed as tiny points of yellow light.

   13. (now only in phrases) A tenth; formerly also a twelfth. [from 17th c.]

       Possession is nine points of the law.

   14. Each of the marks or strokes written above letters, especially in Semitic languages, to indicate vowels, stress etc. [from 17th c.]
   15. (gaming) A unit of scoring in a game or competition. [from 18th c.]

       The one with the most points will win the game

   16. (mathematics) A decimal point (now especially when reading decimal fractions aloud). [from 18th c.]

       10.5 ("ten point five"; = ten and a half)

   17. (economics) A unit used to express differences in prices of stocks and shares. [from 19th c.]
   18. (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.]
   19. (UK) An electric power socket. [from 20th c.]
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.]
      • 2005, Martin Torgoff, Can't Find My Way Home: America in the Great Stoned Age, 1945–2000, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 978-0-7432-3011-6, page 189:

        Willie Jones decided to become Kimani Jones, Black Panther, on the day his best friend, Otis Nicholson, stepped on a mine while walking point during a sweep in the central highlands.

   7. Each of the main directions on a compass, usually considered to be 32 in number; a direction. [from 16th c.]
   8. Pointedness of speech or writing; a penetrating or decisive quality of expression. [from 17th c.]
      • 1897, Henry James, What Maisie Knew:

        There was moreover a hint of the duchess in the infinite point with which, as she felt, she exclaimed: "And this is what you call coming often?"

   9. (rail transport, UK) (in plural ("points")) A railroad switch. [from 19th c.]
   10. (usually in 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.

   11. (cricket) A fielding position square of the wicket on the off side, between gully and cover. [from 19th c.]

Synonyms

• (location or place): location, place, position, spot
• (in geometry):
• (particular moment in an event or occurrence): moment, time
• (sharp tip): end, tip
• (arithmetic symbol): decimal point (name of the symbol; not used when reading decimal fractions aloud)
• (opinion): opinion, point of view, view, viewpoint
• (unit of measure of success or failure): mark (in a competition)
• (colo(u)r of extremities of an animal):

See also

• Appendix:Collocations of do, have, make, and take for the use of point with these verbs

Derived terms

Related terms

Verb

point (third-person singular simple present points, present participle pointing, simple 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.

   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, masonry) To repair mortar.
4. (transitive) To direct or encourage (someone) in a particular direction

   If he asks for food, point him toward the refrigerator.

5. (transitive, masonry) To repair by removing and replacing loose mortar.
6. (transitive, computing) To direct the central processing unit to seek information at a certain location in memory.
7. (transitive, Internet) To direct requests sent to a domain name to the IP address corresponding to that domain name.

Derived terms

Translations

Statistics

• Most common English words before 1923: number · alone · body · #345: point · letter · become · became

External links

• point in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• point in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

Anagrams

• opt in, opt-in
• pinot
• pinto
• piton

French

Etymology

Middle French poinct < Old French point < Latin punctus

Pronunciation

• IPA: /pwɛ̃/ X-SAMPA: /pwE~/

• audio

  (file)

• Audio (Paris)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛ̃
• Homophones: poing, poings, points

Noun

point m. (plural points)

1. point (small mark)
2. (sports, games) point
3. full stop, period (punctuation mark)

Derived terms

Adverb

point

1. (literary, dialectal, usually with "ne") not

   Ne craignez point - Fear not

Synonyms

• pas (contemporary French)

Verb

point m. (f pointe, m plural points, f plural pointes)

1. Past participle of poindre
2. third-person singular present indicative of poindre

Anagrams

• piton

Manx

Verb

point (verbal noun pointeil, past participle pointit)

1. to appoint

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