(v. t. & i.) To appoint.
(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.
(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.
(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.
(n.) The mark made by the end of a sharp, piercing instrument, as
a needle; a prick.
(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.
(n.) An indivisible portion of time; a moment; an instant; hence,
the verge.
(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.
(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.
(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.
(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.
(n.) A small matter; a trifle; a least consideration; a
punctilio.
(n.) A dot or mark used to designate certain tones or time
(n.) A dot or mark distinguishing or characterizing certain tones
or styles; as, points of perfection, of augmentation, etc.; hence, a
note; a tune.
(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.
(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.
(n.) One of the several different parts of the escutcheon. See
Escutcheon.
(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.
(n.) A short piece of cordage used in reefing sails. See Reef
point, under Reef.
(n.) A a string or lace used to tie together certain parts of the
dress.
(n.) Lace wrought the needle; as, point de Venise; Brussels
point. See Point lace, below.
(n.) A switch.
(n.) An item of private information; a hint; a tip; a pointer.
(n.) A fielder who is stationed on the off side, about twelve or
fifteen yards from, and a little in advance of, the batsman.
(n.) The attitude assumed by a pointer dog when he finds game;
as, the dog came to a point. See Pointer.
(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.
(n.) A tyne or snag of an antler.
(n.) One of the spaces on a backgammon board.
(n.) A movement executed with the saber or foil; as, tierce
point.
(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.
(n.) To direct toward an abject; to aim; as, to point a gun at a
wolf, or a cannon at a fort.
(n.) Hence, to direct the attention or notice of.
(n.) To supply with punctuation marks; to punctuate; as, to point
a composition.
(n.) To mark (as Hebrew) with vowel points.
(n.) To give particular prominence to; to designate in a special
manner; to indicate, as if by pointing; as, the error was pointed out.
(n.) To indicate or discover by a fixed look, as game.
(n.) To fill up and finish the joints of (a wall), by introducing
additional cement or mortar, and bringing it to a smooth surface.
(n.) To cut, as a surface, with a pointed tool.
(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.
(v. i.) To indicate the presence of game by fixed and steady
look, as certain hunting dogs do.
(v. i.) To approximate to the surface; to head; -- said of an
abscess.
