point
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: point
ipa: /pɔɪnt/
rhymes: -ɔɪnt
Forms: form: points
form: pointing
form: pointed
form: pointed
form: p'int
Etymology: From Middle English pointen, poynten, from Old French pointier, pointer, poynter, from point from Latin pūnctum.
Senses: examples: text: It's rude to point at other people.
text: Now must the world point at poor Katharine.
ref: c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
text: Point at the tattered coat and ragged shoe.
ref: 1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, John Dryden, transl., “[The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis.] (please specify the satire number)”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC:
text: Luiz struggled with the movement of Helguson in the box, as he collected a long ball and the Spaniard barged him over, leaving referee Chris Foy little option but to point to the spot.
ref: 2011 October 23, Becky Ashton, “QPR 1 - 0 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport:
glosses: To extend the index finger in the direction of something in order to show where it is or to draw attention to it.
examples: text: The arrow of a compass points north
text: The skis were pointing uphill.
text: The arrow on the map points towards the entrance
text: In his submission to the UN, [Christof] Heyns points to the experience of drones. Unmanned aerial vehicles were intended initially only for surveillance, and their use for offensive purposes was prohibited, yet once strategists realised their perceived advantages as a means of carrying out targeted killings, all objections were swept out of the way.
ref: 2013 June 7, Ed Pilkington, “‘Killer robots’ should be banned in advance, UN told”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 6:
glosses: To draw attention to something or indicate a direction.
glosses: To face in a particular direction.
examples: text: to point a gun at a wolf, or a cannon at a fort
text: 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 […]
ref: 1853, Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons, Parliamentary Papers, volume 11, page 267:
glosses: To direct toward an object; to aim.
examples: text: to point a dart, a pencil, or (figuratively) a moral
glosses: To give a point to; to sharpen; to cut, forge, grind, or file to an acute end.
examples: text: Tens of thousands of Portuguese, Greek and Irish people have left their homelands this year, many heading for the southern hemisphere. Anecdotal evidence points to the same happening in Spain and Italy.
ref: 2011 December 21, Helen Pidd, “Europeans migrate south as continent drifts deeper into crisis”, in the Guardian:
glosses: To indicate a probability of something.
topics: business
construction
manufacturing
masonry
glosses: To repair mortar.
topics: business
construction
manufacturing
masonry
glosses: To fill up and finish the joints of (a wall), by introducing additional cement or mortar, and bringing it to a smooth surface.
examples: text: Damaged stone will be removed, and the new stone installed and pointed to ensure a comprehensive match to maintain the integrity of the structure.
ref: 2020 May 20, Philip Haigh, “Ribblehead: at the heart of the S&C's survival and its revival: Ribblehead Viaduct repairs”, in Rail, page 27:
qualifier: stone-cutting
glosses: To cut, as a surface, with a pointed tool.
examples: text: If he asks for food, point him toward the refrigerator.
text: Whosoever should be guided through his battles by Minerva, and pointed to every scene of them.
ref: 1715–1720, Homer, translated by Alexander Pope, “(please specify the book of the Iliad or chapter quoted from)”, in The Iliad of Homer, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC:
glosses: To direct or encourage (someone) in a particular direction.
topics: mathematics
sciences
glosses: To separate an integer from a decimal with a decimal point.
glosses: To mark with diacritics.
examples: text: to point a composition
glosses: To supply with punctuation marks; to punctuate.
topics: computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
glosses: To direct the central processing unit to seek information at a certain location in memory.
glosses: To direct requests sent to a domain name to the IP address corresponding to that domain name.
examples: text: Bear off a little, we're pointing.
topics: nautical
transport
glosses: To sail close to the wind.
examples: text: Novv the vvarm Scent aſſures the Covey near, / He [the dog] treads vvith Caution, and he points vvith Fear; […]
ref: 1713, [John] Gay, Rural Sports. A Poem. […], 2nd edition, London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 16:
topics: hobbies
hunting
lifestyle
glosses: To indicate the presence of game by a fixed and steady look, as certain hunting dogs do.
topics: medicine
sciences
glosses: To approximate to the surface; to head.
raw_tags: of an abscess
examples: text: He points it, however, by no deviation from his straightforward manner of speech.
ref: 1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1853, →OCLC:
text: ‘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.
ref: 1924, EM Forster, A Passage to India, Penguin, published 2005, page 85:
glosses: To give point to (something said or done); to give particular prominence or force to.
Derived terms: finger-point
finger pointing at the moon
point and call
point-and-click
point-and-drool
point-and-shoot
point-and-shooter
point at
point at infinity
pointer
point fingers
point one's toes
point out
point Percy at the porcelain
point the bone
point the finger
point the finger at
point up
repoint