Point

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( n.) A standard unit of measure for the size of type bodies, being one twelfth of the thickness of pica type. See Point system of type, under Type.

(2): ( n.) A tyne or snag of an antler.

(3): ( n.) One of the spaces on a backgammon board.

(4): ( n.) The attitude assumed by a pointer dog when he finds game; as, the dog came to a point. See Pointer.

(5): ( n.) A movement executed with the saber or foil; as, tierce point.

(6): ( n.) An item of private information; a hint; a tip; a pointer.

(7): ( n.) A switch.

(8): ( n.) To give a point to; to sharpen; to cut, forge, grind, or file to an acute end; as, to point a dart, or a pencil. Used also figuratively; as, to point a moral.

(9): ( n.) To direct toward an abject; to aim; as, to point a gun at a wolf, or a cannon at a fort.

(10): ( n.) Hence, to direct the attention or notice of.

(11): ( n.) To supply with punctuation marks; to punctuate; as, to point a composition.

(12): ( n.) To mark (as Hebrew) with vowel points.

(13): ( n.) To give particular prominence to; to designate in a special manner; to indicate, as if by pointing; as, the error was pointed out.

(14): ( n.) To indicate or discover by a fixed look, as game.

(15): ( n.) To fill up and finish the joints of (a wall), by introducing additional cement or mortar, and bringing it to a smooth surface.

(16): ( n.) To cut, as a surface, with a pointed tool.

(17): ( v. i.) To direct the point of something, as of a finger, for the purpose of designating an object, and attracting attention to it; - with at.

(18): ( v. i.) To indicate the presence of game by fixed and steady look, as certain hunting dogs do.

(19): ( v. i.) To approximate to the surface; to head; - said of an abscess.

(20): ( n.) The perpendicular rising of a hawk over the place where its prey has gone into cover.

(21): ( n.) A dot placed at the right hand of a note, to raise its value, or prolong its time, by one half, as to make a whole note equal to three half notes, a half note equal to three quarter notes.

(22): ( n.) Lace wrought the needle; as, point de Venise; Brussels point. See Point lace, below.

(23): ( n.) The position of the pitcher and catcher.

(24): ( n.) The position of the player of each side who stands a short distance in front of the goal keeper; also, the player himself.

(25): ( n.) In various games, a position of a certain player, or, by extension, the player himself;

(26): ( n.) One of the raised dots used in certain systems of printing and writing for the blind. The first practical system was that devised by Louis Braille in 1829, and still used in Europe (see Braille). Two modifications of this are current in the United States: New York point founded on three bases of equidistant points arranged in two lines (viz., : :: :::), and a later improvement, American Braille, embodying the Braille base (:::) and the New-York-point principle of using the characters of few points for the commonest letters.

(27): ( n.) A pointed piece of quill or bone covered at one end with vaccine matter; - called also vaccine point.

(28): ( v. t. & i.) To appoint.

(29): ( n.) That which pricks or pierces; the sharp end of anything, esp. the sharp end of a piercing instrument, as a needle or a pin.

(30): ( n.) An instrument which pricks or pierces, as a sort of needle used by engravers, etchers, lace workers, and others; also, a pointed cutting tool, as a stone cutter's point; - called also pointer.

(31): ( n.) A spot to which a straight run is made; hence, a straight run from point to point; a cross-country run.

(32): ( n.) Act of pointing, as of the foot downward in certain dance positions.

(33): ( n.) Anything which tapers to a sharp, well-defined termination. Specifically: A small promontory or cape; a tract of land extending into the water beyond the common shore line.

(34): ( n.) A fielder who is stationed on the off side, about twelve or fifteen yards from, and a little in advance of, the batsman.

(35): ( n.) The mark made by the end of a sharp, piercing instrument, as a needle; a prick.

(36): ( n.) An indefinitely small space; a mere spot indicated or supposed. Specifically: (Geom.) That which has neither parts nor magnitude; that which has position, but has neither length, breadth, nor thickness, - sometimes conceived of as the limit of a line; that by the motion of which a line is conceived to be produced.

(37): ( n.) A a string or lace used to tie together certain parts of the dress.

(38): ( n.) A short piece of cordage used in reefing sails. See Reef point, under Reef.

(39): ( n.) One of the points of the compass (see Points of the compass, below); also, the difference between two points of the compass; as, to fall off a point.

(40): ( n.) One of the several different parts of the escutcheon. See Escutcheon.

(41): ( n.) A fixed conventional place for reference, or zero of reckoning, in the heavens, usually the intersection of two or more great circles of the sphere, and named specifically in each case according to the position intended; as, the equinoctial points; the solstitial points; the nodal points; vertical points, etc. See Equinoctial Nodal.

(42): ( n.) Hence, the most prominent or important feature, as of an argument, discourse, etc.; the essential matter; esp., the proposition to be established; as, the point of an anecdote.

(43): ( n.) A dot or mark distinguishing or characterizing certain tones or styles; as, points of perfection, of augmentation, etc.; hence, a note; a tune.

(44): ( n.) A dot or mark used to designate certain tones or time

(45): ( n.) A small matter; a trifle; a least consideration; a punctilio.

(46): ( n.) That which arrests attention, or indicates qualities or character; a salient feature; a characteristic; a peculiarity; hence, a particular; an item; a detail; as, the good or bad points of a man, a horse, a book, a story, etc.

(47): ( n.) Whatever serves to mark progress, rank, or relative position, or to indicate a transition from one state or position to another, degree; step; stage; hence, position or condition attained; as, a point of elevation, or of depression; the stock fell off five points; he won by tenpoints.

(48): ( n.) A mark of punctuation; a character used to mark the divisions of a composition, or the pauses to be observed in reading, or to point off groups of figures, etc.; a stop, as a comma, a semicolon, and esp. a period; hence, figuratively, an end, or conclusion.

(49): ( n.) An indivisible portion of time; a moment; an instant; hence, the verge.

King James Dictionary

Point, n. L. punctum, from pungo, to prick, properly to thrust, pret. pepugi, showing that n is not radical.

1. The sharp end of any instrument or body as the point of a knife, of a sword or of a thorn. 2. A string with a tag as a silken point. 3. A small cape, headland or promontory a tract of land extending into the sea, a lake or river, beyond the line of the shore, and becoming narrow at the end as point Judith Montauk point. It is smaller than a cape. 4. The sting of an epigram a lively turn of thought or expression that strikes with force and agreeable surprise.

With periods, points and tropes he slurs his crimes.

5. An indivisible part of time or space. We say, a point of time, a point of space. 6. A small space as a small point of land. 7. Punctilio nicety exactness of ceremony as points of precedence. 8. Place near, next or contiguous to verge eve. He is on the point of departure, or at the point of death. 9. Exact place. He left off at the point where he began. 10. Degree state of elevation, depression or extension as, he has reached an extraordinary point of excellence. He has fallen to the lowest point of degradation. 11. A character used to mark the divisions of writing, or the pauses to be observed in reading or speaking as the comma, semi-colon, colon and period. The period is called a full stop,as it marks the close of a sentence. 12. A spot a part of a surface divided by spots or lines as the ace or sise point. 13. In geometry, that which has neither parts nor magnitude.

A point is that which has position but not magnitude.

A point is a limit terminating a line.

14. In music, mark or note anciently used to distinguish tones or sounds. Hence, simple counterpoint is when a note of the lower part answers exactly to that of the upper, and figurative counterpoint, is when a note is syncopated and one of the parts makes several notes or inflections of the voice while the other holds on one. 15. In modern music, a dot placed by a note to raise its value or prolong its time by one half, so as to make a semibreve equal to three minims a minim equal to three quavers, &c. 16. In astronomy, a division of the great circles of the horizon, and of the mariner's compass. The four cardinal points, are the east, west, north and south. On the space between two of these points, making a quadrant or quarter of a circle, the compass is marked with subordinate divisions, the whole number being thirty two points. 17. In astronomy, a certain place marked in the heavens, or distinguished for its importance in astronomical calculations. The zenith and nadir are called vertical points the nodes are the points where the orbits of the planets intersect the plane of the ecliptic the place where the equator and ecliptic intersect are called equinoctial points the points of the ecliptic at which the departure of the sun from the equator, north and south, is terminated, are called solstitial points. 18. In perspective, a certain pole or place with regard to the perspective plane. 19. In manufactories, a lace or work wrought by the needle as point le Venice, point de Genoa, &c. Sometimes the word is used for lace woven with bobbins. Point devise is used for needle work, or for nice work. 20. The place to which any thing is directed, or the direction in which an object is presented to the eye. We say, in this point of view, an object appears to advantage. In this or that point of view, the evidence is important. 21. Particular single thing or subject. In what point do we differ? All points of controversy between the parties are adjusted. We say, in point of antiquity, in point of fact, in point of excellence. The letter in every point is admirable. The treaty is executed in every point. 22. Aim purpose thing to be reached or accomplished as, to gain one's point. 23. The act of aiming or striking.

What a point your falcon made.

24. A single position a single assertion a single part of a complicated question or of a whole.

These arguments are not sufficient to prove the point.

Strange point and new!

Doctrine which we would know whence learned.

25. A note or tune.

Turning your tongue divine

To a loud trumpet, and a point of war.

26. In heraldry, points are the several different parts of the escutcheon, denoting the local positions of figures. 27. In electricity, the acute termination of a body which facilitates the passage of the fluid to or from the body. 28. In gunnery, point-blank denotes the shot of a gun leveled horizontally. The point-blank range is the extent of the apparent right line of a ball discharged. In shooting point-blank,the ball is supposed to move directly to the object, without a curve. Hence adverbially, the word is equivalent to directly. 29. In marine language, points are flat pieces of braided cordage, tapering from the middle towards each end used in reefing the courses and top-sails of square-rigged vessels.

Point de vise, Fr. exactly in the point of view.

Vowel-points, in the Hebrew and other eastern languages, are certain marks placed above or below the consonants, or attached to them, as in the Ethiopic, representing the vocal sounds or vowels, which precede or follow the articulations.

The point, the subject the main question the precise thing to be considered, determined or accomplished. This argument may be true, but it is not to the point.

Point, To sharpen to cut, forge, grind or file to an acute end as, to point a dart or a pin also, to taper, as a rope.

1. To direct towards an object or place, to show its position, or excite attention to it as, to point the finger at an object to point the finger of scorn at one. 2. To direct the eye or notice.

Whosoever should be guided through his battles by Minerva, and pointed to every scene of them, would see nothing but subjects of surprise.

3. To aim to direct towards an object as, to point a musket at a wolf to point a cannon at a gate. 4. To mark with characters for the purpose of distinguishing the members of a sentence, and designating the pauses as, to point a written composition. 5. To mark with vowel-points. 6. To appoint. Not in use. 7. To fill the joints with mortar, and smooth them with the point of a trowel as, to point a wall.

To point out, to show by the finger or by other means.

To point a sail, to affix points through the eyelet-holes of the reefs.

Point, To direct the finger for designating an object, and exciting attention to it with at.

Now must the world point at poor Catherine.

Point at the tatter'd coat and ragged shoe.

1. To indicate, as dogs do to sportsmen.

He treads with caution, and he points with fear.

2. To show distinctly by any means.

To point at what time the balance of power was most equally held between the lords and commons at Rome, would perhaps admit a controversy.

3. To fill the joints or crevices of a wall with mortar. 4. In the rigging of a ship, to taper the end of a rope or splice, and work over the reduced part a small close netting, with an even number of knittles twisted from the same.

To point at, to treat with scorn or contempt by pointing or directing attention to.