pointing
Use Pointing in a sentence
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tɪŋ noun
(in masonry) mortar used as a finishing touch to brickwork.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
noun
1.
a sharp or tapering end, as of a dagger.
2.
a projecting part of anything: A point of land juts into the bay.
3.
a tapering extremity: the points of the fingers.
4.
something having a sharp or tapering end: a pen point.
5.
a pointed tool or instrument, as an etching needle.
6.
a stone implement with a tapering end found in some Middle and Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic cultures and used primarily for hunting.
7.
a mark made with or as if with the sharp end of something: Her sharp heels left points in the carpet.
8.
a mark of punctuation.
9.
period ( def 15 ).
10.
See under decimal fraction.
11.
Phonetics. a diacritic indicating a vowel or other modification of sound.
12.
one of the embossed dots used in certain systems of writing and printing for the blind.
13.
something that has position but not extension, as the intersection of two lines.
14.
a place of which the position alone is considered; spot: We're leaving for Chicago and points west.
15.
any definite position, as in a scale, course, etc.: the boiling point.
16.
(in acupuncture) a particular spot on the body at which a needle may be inserted, as to relieve pain.
17.
Navigation. any of 32 separate horizontal directions, 11° 15′ apart, as indicated on the card of a compass or gauged with reference to the heading of a vessel.
18.
Nautical, point of sailing.
19.
a degree or stage: frankness to the point of insult.
20.
a particular instant of time: It was at that point that I told him he'd said enough.
21.
a critical position in a course of affairs: Morale had reached a low point.
22.
a decisive state of circumstances: He reached the point where he could no longer pay his debts.
23.
the important or essential thing: the point of the matter.
24.
the salient feature of a story, epigram, joke, etc.: to miss the point.
25.
a particular aim, end, or purpose: He carried his point.
26.
a hint or suggestion: points on getting a job.
27.
a single or separate article or item, as in an extended whole; a detail or particular: the fine points of a contract.
28.
an individual part or element of something: noble points in her character.
29.
a distinguishing mark or quality, especially one of an animal, used as a standard in stockbreeding, judging, etc.
30.
points.
a.
the extremities of an animal, especially a horse or dog.
b.
Railroads, British. a switch.
31.
a single unit, as in counting.
32.
a unit of count in the score of a game: Our team won by five points.
33.
(in craps) the number that must be thrown to win but not including 7 or 11 on the first roll: Your point is 4.
34.
Ice Hockey. either of two positions, to the right or left of the goal, to which an attacking defenseman is assigned, usually in the execution of a power play, to help keep the puck in the attacking zone.
35.
Basketball. a position in the front court, usually taken by the guard in charge of setting up the team's offense.
36.
Cricket.
a.
the position of the fielder who plays a short distance in front of and to the offside of the batsman.
b.
the fielder playing this position.
37.
Chiefly Boxing. the end or tip (of the chin).
38.
39.
a branch of an antler of a deer: an eight-point buck.
40.
Sports. a cross-country run.
41.
one of the narrow tapering spaces marked on a backgammon board.
42.
Education. a single credit, usually corresponding to an hour's class work per week for one semester.
43.
44.
Commerce.
a.
a unit of price quotation, as in the U.S., one dollar in stock transactions, one hundredth of a cent in cotton and coffee, or one cent in oil, grain, pork, etc.: The price of stock went up two points today.
b.
(especially in motion pictures) a percentage point, usually of the gross profits, granted to someone who agrees to invest or otherwise participate in a business project: The star of the movie recieved a million dollar guarantee and five points.
45.
one percent of the face value of a loan, especially a mortgage loan, added on as a placement fee or a service charge and paid in advance or upon closing of the loan.
46.
47.
Military.
a.
a patrol or reconnaissance unit that goes ahead of the advance party of an advance guard, or follows the rear party of the rear guard.
b.
the stroke in bayonet drill or combat.
48.
Printing.
a.
a unit of type measurement equal to 0.013835 inch ( 1 / 72 inch), or 1 / 12 pica. Compare Didot point system.
b.
Also called press-point. (in a press) one of several metal prongs for perforating the sheet so that it will be in register when the reverse is printed.
49.
a unit of measure of paper or card thickness, equal to 0.001 inch.
50.
51.
52.
any lace made by hand.
53.
Heraldry. one of the pendent parts of a label.
54.
Railroads.
a.
the vertex of the angle formed at a frog by two rails; the intersection of gauge lines in a switch or frog.
b.
British. a tapering movable rail, as in a railroad switch.
55.
(in the game of go) any place where lines intersect or meet.
56.
act of pointing.
57.
Archaic. a tagged ribbon or cord, formerly much used in dress, as for tying or fastening parts.
58.
Obsolete. an end or conclusion.
59.
Obsolete. a pointed weapon, as a dagger.
60.
Obsolete, condition.
verb (used with object)
61.
to direct (the finger, a weapon, the attention, etc.) at, to, or upon something.
62.
to indicate the presence or position of (usually followed by out ): to point out an object in the sky.
63.
to direct attention to (usually followed by out ): to point out the advantages of a proposal.
64.
to furnish with a point or points; sharpen: to point a lead pencil.
65.
to mark with one or more points, dots, or the like.
66.
Sculpture. to transfer measurements of depth from a clay, wax, or plaster model to (a block of stone) by means of an apparatus that drills holes to the required depth prior to carving.
67.
to punctuate, as writing.
68.
Phonetics. to mark (letters) with points.
69.
to separate (figures) by dots or points (usually followed by off ).
70.
71.
Hunting. (of a hunting dog) to indicate the presence and location of (game) by standing rigid and facing toward the game.
72.
Masonry.
a.
to fill the joints of (brickwork, stonework, etc.) with mortar or cement treated in various ways with tools after application.
b.
to dress the surface of (a stone) with a pointed tool.
73.
to dress (a stone) with a point.
74.
Metalworking.
a.
to narrow the end of (a rod) for passing through the dies of a drawbench.
b.
to narrow the end of (a tube) over the head of a pin that is gripped to pull the tube through the dies of a drawbench.
verb (used without object)
Idioms 75.
to indicate position or direction, as with the finger.
76.
to direct the mind or thought in some direction; call attention to: Everything points to his guilt.
77.
to aim.
78.
to have a tendency toward something: Economic conditions point to further inflation.
79.
to have a specified direction: The sign pointed west.
84.
at/on/upon the point of, on the verge of; close to: on the point of death.
85.
at this point in time, now; at this precise moment in history: At this point in time the President believes peace has been achieved.
86.
in point, that is pertinent; applicable: a case in point.
87.
in point of, as regards; in reference to: in point of fact.
88.
make a point of, to regard as important; insist upon: She made a point of complimenting her friend's apartment.
89.
make points with, Informal. to curry favor with: to make points with one's boss. Also, make Brownie points with.
90.
strain/stretch a point, to depart from the usual procedure or rule because of special circumstances; make a concession or exception: Though the position required three years of previous experience, and he had only two, they stretched a point because of his outstanding record.
91.
to the point, pertinent; fitting: The reply was short and to the point.
Origin:
1175–1225; (noun) Middle English point(e); partly < Old French point dot, mark, place, moment < Latin pūnctum, noun use of neuter past participle of pungere to prick, stab (cf. pungent); partly < Old French pointe sharp end < Medieval Latin pūncta, noun use of Latin: feminine of past participle of pungere; (v.) Middle English pointen; partly derivative of the noun, partly < Middle French pointer, derivative of pointe (noun)
1175–1225; (noun) Middle English point(e); partly < Old French point dot, mark, place, moment < Latin pūnctum, noun use of neuter past participle of pungere to prick, stab (cf. pungent); partly < Old French pointe sharp end < Medieval Latin pūncta, noun use of Latin: feminine of past participle of pungere; (v.) Middle English pointen; partly derivative of the noun, partly < Middle French pointer, derivative of pointe (noun)
Related forms
mul·ti·point, adjective
un·der·point, noun
un·der·point, verb (used without object)
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.
Cite This Source
|
Link To pointing
00:10
Pointing
is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
point (pɔɪnt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a dot or tiny mark |
| 2. | a location, spot, or position |
| 3. | any dot or mark used in writing or printing, such as a decimal point or a full stop |
| 4. | short for vowel point |
| 5. | the sharp tapered end of a pin, knife, etc |
| 6. | a pin, needle, or other object having such a point |
| 7. | maths |
| a. a geometric element having no dimensions and whose position in space is located by means of its coordinates | |
| b. a location: point of inflection | |
| 8. | a promontory, usually smaller than a cape |
| 9. | a specific condition or degree |
| 10. | a moment: at that point he left the room |
| 11. | an important or fundamental reason, aim, etc: the point of this exercise is to train new teachers |
| 12. | an essential element or thesis in an argument: you've made your point; I take your point |
| 13. | a suggestion or tip |
| 14. | a detail or item |
| 15. | an important or outstanding characteristic, physical attribute, etc: he has his good points |
| 16. | a distinctive characteristic or quality of an animal, esp one used as a standard in judging livestock |
| 17. | (often plural) any of the extremities, such as the tail, ears, or feet, of a domestic animal |
| 18. | (often plural) ballet the tip of the toes |
| 19. | a single unit for measuring or counting, as in the scoring of a game |
| 20. | Australian rules football an informal name for behind |
| 21. | printing a unit of measurement equal to one twelfth of a pica, or approximately 0.01384 inch. There are approximately 72 points to the inch |
| 22. | finance |
| a. a unit of value used to quote security and commodity prices and their fluctuations | |
| b. a percentage unit sometimes payable by a borrower as a premium on a loan | |
| 23. | nautical |
| a. one of the 32 marks on the circumference of a compass card indicating direction | |
| b. the angle of 11°15′ between two adjacent marks | |
| c. a point on the horizon indicated by such a mark | |
| 24. | cricket |
| a. a fielding position at right angles to the batsman on the off side and relatively near the pitch | |
| b. a fielder in this position | |
| 25. | any of the numbers cast in the first throw in craps with which one neither wins nor loses by throwing them: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 |
| 26. | either of the two electrical contacts that make or break the current flow in the distributor of an internal-combustion engine |
| 27. | (Brit) (often plural) US and Canadian equivalent: switch a junction of railway tracks in which a pair of rails can be moved so that a train can be directed onto either of two lines |
| 28. | (often plural) a piece of ribbon, cord, etc, with metal tags at the end: used during the 16th and 17th centuries to fasten clothing |
| 29. | backgammon a place or position on the board |
| 30. | (Brit) |
| a. short for power point | |
| b. an informal name for socket | |
| 31. | an aggressive position adopted in bayonet or sword drill |
| 32. | military the position at the head of a body of troops, or a person in this position |
| 33. | the position of the body of a pointer or setter when it discovers game |
| 34. | boxing a mark awarded for a scoring blow, knockdown, etc |
| 35. | any diacritic used in a writing system, esp in a phonetic transcription, to indicate modifications of vowels or consonants |
| 36. | jewellery a unit of weight equal to 0.01 carat |
| 37. | the act of pointing |
| 38. | ice hockey the position just inside the opponents' blue line |
| 39. | beside the point not pertinent; irrelevant |
| 40. | case in point a specific, appropriate, or relevant instance or example |
| 41. | in point of in the matter of; regarding |
| 42. | make a point of |
| a. to make (something) one's regular habit | |
| b. to do (something) because one thinks it important | |
| 43. | not to put too fine a point on it to speak plainly and bluntly |
| 44. | on the point of, at the point of at the moment immediately before a specified condition, action, etc, is expected to begin: on the point of leaving the room |
| 45. | score points off to gain an advantage at someone else's expense |
| 46. | stretch a point |
| a. to make a concession or exception not usually made | |
| b. to exaggerate | |
| 47. | to the point pertinent; relevant |
| 48. | up to a point not completely |
| —vb (usually foll by at | |
| 49. | to indicate the location or direction of by or as by extending (a finger or other pointed object) towards it: he pointed to the front door; don't point that gun at me |
| 50. | (intr; |
| 51. | (tr) to direct or cause to go or face in a specific direction or towards a place or goal: point me in the right direction |
| 52. | (tr) to sharpen or taper |
| 53. | (intr) (of gun dogs) to indicate the place where game is lying by standing rigidly with the muzzle turned in its direction |
| 54. | (tr) to finish or repair the joints of (brickwork, masonry, etc) with mortar or cement |
| 55. | (tr) music to mark (a psalm text) with vertical lines to indicate the points at which the music changes during chanting |
| 56. | to steer (a sailing vessel) close to the wind or (of a sailing vessel) to sail close to the wind |
| 57. | (tr) phonetics to provide (a letter or letters) with diacritics |
| 58. | (tr) to provide (a Hebrew or similar text) with vowel points |
| [C13: from Old French: spot, from Latin punctum a point, from pungere to pierce; also influenced by Old French pointe pointed end, from Latin pungere] | |
| pointing (ˈpɔɪntɪŋ) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | the act or process of repairing or finishing joints in brickwork, masonry, etc, with mortar |
| 2. | a. the insertion of marks to indicate the chanting of a psalm or the vowels in a Hebrew text |
| b. the sequence of marks so inserted | |
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
point
12c., a merger of two words, both ultimately from L. pungere "prick, pierce" (see pungent). The neut. pp. punctum was used as a noun, meaning "small hole made by pricking," subsequently extended to anything that looked like one, hence, "dot, particle," etc., which was its
meaning as O.Fr. point, borrowed in M.E. by c.1300. The fem. pp. of pungere was puncta, which was used in M.L. to mean "sharp tip," and became O.Fr. pointe, which also passed into English, early 14c. The sense have merged in English, but remain distinct in French. Extended senses are from the notion of "minute, single, or separate items in an extended whole," which is the earliest attested sense in English (early 13c.). Meaning "distinguishing feature" is recorded from late 15c. Meaning "a unit of score in a game" is first recorded 1746. As a typeface unit, it went into use in U.S. 1883. As a measure of weight for precious stones (one one-hundredth of a carat) it is recorded from 1931. The point "the matter being discussed" is attested from late 14c.; meaning "sense, purpose, advantage" (usually in the negative, e.g. what's the point?) is first recorded 1903. Phrase possession is nine (or eleven) points of the law (1690s) is out of a supposed 10 (or 12). Point of honor (1610s) translates Fr. point d'honneur. Point of no return (1941) is originally aviators' term for the point in a flight "before which any engine failure requires an immediate turn around and return to the point of departure, and beyond which such return is no longer practical."
point
"to indicate with the finger," c.1470, from point (n.). Pointer "item of advice" first recorded 1883.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
point (point)
n.
A sharp or tapered end.
A slight projection.
A stage or condition reached.
To become ready to open, as an abscess or boil.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
| point (point) Pronunciation Key
A geometric object having no dimensions and no property other than its location. The intersection of two lines is a point. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
point definition
In geometry, a location having no dimension — no length, height, or width — and identified by at least one coordinate.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia
pointing
in building maintenance, the technique of repairing mortar joints between bricks or other masonry elements. When aging mortar joints crack and disintegrate, the defective mortar is removed by hand or power tool and replaced with fresh mortar, preferably of the same composition as the original. Often an entire wall, or even a whole structure, is pointed because defective points cannot easily be detected, and adjacent joints may also be in need of repair. The mortar is packed tightly in thin layers and tooled to a smooth, concave, finished surface. Tuck-pointing is a refinement of pointing, by which sharply defined points are formed for decorative purposes.
Learn more about pointing with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Example sentences
They were small and had downward-pointing, jawless mouths, indicating they lived by sucking and filtering food from the seabed.
The stage is, it turns out, an enormous screen pointing up.
It also accentuates the long, long streamers pointing directly away from the center.
Once inside the car, the poachers were surprised to find the other two rangers pointing their guns at them.
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