point (n.)

  1. a geometric element that has position but no extension; a point is defined by its coordinates'

  2. the unit of counting in scoring a game or contest; he scored 20 points in the first half; a touchdown counts 6 points'

  3. a promontory extending out into a large body of water; they sailed south around the point'

  4. a distinct part that can be specified separately in a group of things that could be enumerated on a list; he noticed an item in the New York Times; she had several items on her shopping list; the main point on the agenda was taken up first

    [ Syn: item ]

  5. a style in speech or writing that arrests attention and has a penetrating or convincing quality or effect

  6. an outstanding characteristic; his acting was one of the high points of the movie

    [ Syn: spot ]

  7. sharp end; he stuck the point of the knife into a tree; he broke the point of his pencil'

  8. any of 32 horizontal directions indicated on the card of a compass; he checked the point on his compass

    [ Syn: compass point ]

  9. a linear unit used to measure the size of type; approximately 1/72 inch

  10. one percent of the total principal of a loan; it is paid at the time the loan is made and is independent of the interest on the loan

  11. a punctuation mark (.) placed at the end of a declarative sentence to indicate a full stop or after abbreviations; in England they call a period a stop

    [ Syn: period , full stop , stop , full point ]

  12. the precise location of something; a spatially limited location; she walked to a point where she could survey the whole street'

  13. a V-shaped mark at one end of an arrow pointer; the point of the arrow was due north

    [ Syn: head ]

  14. the dot at the left of a decimal fraction

    [ Syn: decimal point , percentage point ]

  15. the property of a shape that tapers to a sharp tip

    [ Syn: pointedness ]

  16. a distinguishing or individuating characteristic; he knows my bad points as well as my good points'

  17. the gun muzzles direction; he held me up at the point of a gun

    [ Syn: gunpoint ]

  18. a wall socket

    [ Syn: power point ]

  19. a contact in the distributor; as the rotor turns its projecting arm contacts them and current flows to the spark plugs

    [ Syn: distributor point , breaker point ]

  20. a brief version of the essential meaning of something; get to the point; he missed the point of the joke; life has lost its point'

  21. an isolated fact that is considered separately from the whole; several of the details are similar; a point of information

    [ Syn: detail , item ]

  22. a specific identifiable position in a continuum or series or especially in a process; a remarkable degree of frankness; at what stage are the social sciences?

    [ Syn: degree , level , stage ]

  23. an instant of time; at that point I had to leave

    [ Syn: point in time ]

  24. the object of an activity; what is the point of discussing it?'

  25. a V shape; the cannibals teeth were filed to sharp points

    [ Syn: tip , peak ]

  26. a very small circular shape; a row of points; draw lines between the dots

    [ Syn: dot ]

    point (v.)

  1. indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively; I showed the customer the glove section; He pointed to the empty parking space; he indicated his opponents

    [ Syn: indicate , designate , show ]

  2. be positionable in a specified manner; The gun points with ease'

  3. intend (something) to move towards a certain goal; He aimed his fists towards his opponents face; criticism directed at her superior; direct your anger towards others, not towards yourself

    [ Syn: target , aim , place , direct ]

  4. indicate the presence of (game) by standing and pointing with the muzzle; the dog pointed the dead duck'

  5. give a point to; The candles are tapered

    [ Syn: sharpen , taper ]

  6. repair the joints of bricks; point a chimney

    [ Syn: repoint ]

  7. be oriented; The weather vane points North; the dancers toes pointed outward

    [ Syn: orient ]

  8. direct into a position for use; point a gun; He charged his weapon at me

    [ Syn: charge , level ]

  9. direct the course; determine the direction of travelling

    [ Syn: steer , maneuver , manoeuver , manoeuvre , direct , head , guide , channelize , channelise ]

  10. be a signal for or a symptom of; These symptoms indicate a serious illness; Her behavior points to a severe neurosis; The economic indicators signal that the euro is undervalued

    [ Syn: bespeak , betoken , indicate , signal ]

  11. sail close to the wind

    [ Syn: luff ]

  12. mark (Hebrew words) with diacritics

  13. mark with diacritics; point the letter'

  14. mark (a psalm text) to indicate the points at which the music changes

The dictionary is based on the WordNet Electronic Lexical Database.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2011 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.