pointer
Use Pointer in a sentence
tər noun
1.
a person or thing that points.
2.
a long, tapering stick used by teachers, lecturers, etc., in pointing things out on a map, blackboard, or the like.
3.
the hand on a watch dial, clock face, scale, etc.
4.
Military. the member of an artillery crew who aims the weapon.
5.
one of a breed of short-haired hunting dogs trained to point game.
6.
a piece of advice, especially on how to succeed in a specific area: The food expert gave some good pointers on making better salads.
7.
Computers. an identifier giving the location in storage of something of interest, as a data item, table, or subroutine.
8.
Pointers, Astronomy. the two outer stars of the Big Dipper that lie on a line that passes very near Polaris and are used for finding it.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To pointer
00:10
Pointer
is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
pointer (ˈpɔɪntə) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a person or thing that points |
| 2. | an indicator on a measuring instrument |
| 3. | a long rod or cane used by a lecturer to point to parts of a map, blackboard, etc |
| 4. | one of a breed of large swift smooth-coated dogs, usually white with black, liver, or lemon markings: when on shooting expeditions it points to the bird with its nose, body, and tail in a straight line |
| 5. | a helpful piece of information or advice |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
pointer
"dog that stands rigid in the presence of game, facing the quarry," 1717, from point (v.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary
pointer definition
1.
The terms "pointer" and "reference" are generally interchangable although particular programming languages often differentiate these two in subtle ways. For example, Perl always calls them references, never pointers. Conversely, in C, "pointer" is used, although "a reference" is often used to denote the concept that a pointer implements.
Anthony Hoare once said:
Pointers are like jumps, leading wildly from one part of the data structure to another. Their introduction into high-level languages has been a step backward from which we may never recover.
[C.A.R.Hoare "Hints on Programming Language Design", 1973, Prentice-Hall collection of essays and papers by Tony Hoare].
2.
(1999-07-07)
Example sentences
Voters are also being given the option of using a pointer tool to make their selections instead of using their fingers.
Learn about the physics behind the three pointer, why dribbling is difficult, and what goes into the perfect dunk.
The small cogged wheel counted decimal places, clicking each time the pointer made a revolution.
All it requires are a laser pointer, some polarizing film and a few household objects.
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