point

  • noun 1 the tapered, sharp end of a tool, weapon, or other object. 2 a particular spot, place, or moment. 3 an item, detail, or idea in a discussion, text, etc. 4 (the point) the most significant or relevant factor or element. 5 advantage or purpose: what’s the point of it all? 6 a positive feature or characteristic. 7 a unit of scoring or of measuring value, achievement, or extent. 8 a full stop or a decimal point. 9 a very small dot or mark on a surface. (in geometry) something having position but not spatial extent, magnitude, dimension, or direction. each of thirty-two directions marked at equal distances round a compass. a narrow piece of land jutting out into the sea. (points) Brit. a junction of two railway lines, with a pair of linked tapering rails that can be moved sideways to allow a train to pass from one line to the other. Printing a unit of measurement for type sizes and spacing (in the UK and US 0.351 mm, in Europe 0.376 mm). Brit. a socket in a wall for connecting a device to an electrical supply or communications network. each of a set of electrical contacts in the distributor of a motor vehicle. Cricket a fielding position on the off side near the batsman. Ballet another term for POINTE.

  • verb 1 direct someone’s attention in a particular direction by extending one’s finger. 2 direct or aim (something). 3 face in or indicate a particular direction. 4 (point out) make someone aware of (a fact or circumstance). 5 (often point to) cite or function as evidence. 6 (point up) reveal the true nature or importance of. 7 give a sharp, tapered point to. 8 fill in or repair the joints of (brickwork or tiling) with smoothly finished mortar or cement.

  — PHRASES a case in point an example that illustrates what is being discussed. make a point of make a special effort to do something. on the point of on the verge or brink of. score points deliberately make oneself appear superior by making clever remarks. take someone’s point chiefly Brit. accept the validity of someone’s idea or argument. up to a point to some extent.

  — ORIGIN partly from Old French pointe, from Latin puncta ‘pricking’; partly from Old French point, from Latin punctum ‘something that is pricked’.

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