point

Less common meanings

14. 14
    show with fingerverbintransitive

    To show where something is with your finger.

    Can you point to the town where you were born on this map?

    She pointed to the house on the corner.

    UsagePoint at someone or something; point to a place.

    Similargesture, motion, signal

    Note
15. 15
    aimverbfigurativelytransitive

    To aim something at a target.

    Never point a gun at anyone.

    He pointed the camera at the crowd.

    UsageYou point a camera or a gun at something.

    Similaraim, direct, train, level, turn

    Note
16. 16
    traitnouncountable or uncountable

    A quality or feature that a person or thing has.

    The hotel's best point is its beautiful view of the ocean.

    Every plan has its weak points.

    UsageSay strong point or weak point.

    Similarquality, feature, attribute, trait, characteristic

17. 17
    verbintransitive

    To be turned toward a certain direction.

    The front of the boat pointed toward the shore.

    Both boats point into the wind at anchor.

    Similarface, look, front

18. 18
    direct (person)verbtransitive

    To send someone in the right direction.

    Ask the guard at the door, and he will point you to the elevators.

    The clerk pointed us to the right office.

    UsageSay point me to the office.

    Similardirect, guide, steer, refer, lead

19. 19
    decimal dotnouncountable or uncountable

    The dot in a decimal number, especially when you say it aloud.

    Ten point five is ten and a half.

    We write 2.5, but we say two point five.

    UsageSay 2.5 as two point five.

    Similardecimal

    Note
20. 20
    type sizenouncountable or uncountable

    In printing, a unit for the size of letters, about 1/72 of an inch.

    Set the body text in ten point.

    Please make the text bigger. Nine points is too small to read.

    UsageWrite ten-point type, but set in ten point.

    Note
21. 21
    a finger gesturenouncountable or uncountable

    The act of holding out a finger to show something.

    A point at the door was all the answer he got.

    When I asked where the keys were, she answered with a point at the table.

    Similargesture, signal, indication

22. 22
    sharpenverbtransitive

    To make something sharp at the end.

    Point the stakes before you drive them in.

    The farmer pointed the fence posts with an axe.

    Similarsharpen, taper, tip, hone

    Oppositeblunt, dull

23. 23
    land into seanouncountable or uncountable

    A piece of land that sticks out into the sea or a lake.

    The lighthouse stands on the point.

    We rounded the point and saw the harbor.

    Similarheadland, promontory, cape, peninsula, spit

24. 24
    lead rolenouncountable or uncountable

    The front position of a group moving forward, or the lead role in a hard or risky job.

    Sam took point and led the patrol through the woods.

    Who runs point on the negotiations?

    UsageSay take point or run point.

    Similarlead

    Note
25. 25
    nouncountable or uncountable

    In a game, a unit used to count things like health, skill, or energy.

    My character has only one point of health left.

    You get ten experience points for every monster you beat.

    Note
26. 26
    nouncountable or uncountable

    A very small spot or mark, as tiny as a pinprick.

    A point of light appeared at the end of the dark tunnel.

    Stars look like tiny points of light in the night sky.

    UsagePeople often say a point of light.

    Similardot, speck, spot, pinprick

    Note
27. 27
    stock market unitnouncountable or uncountable

    A unit for changes in share prices.

    The index fell ten points on the news.

    By noon, the company's stock was up one point.

    Note
28. 28
    nouncountable or uncountable

    An area of a different color on an animal's fur, especially on a dog.

    Our dog is black with brown points above his eyes.

    Siamese cats have dark points on their ears, face, paws and tail.

    Similarmarking

    Note
29. 29
    nouncountable or uncountable

    One of the 32 directions on a compass.

    The wind backed a point to the west.

    Sailors learned the thirty-two points by heart.

    Similardirection, bearing, quarter

30. 30
    wall socketnounUKcountable or uncountable

    A socket in the wall where you plug in electric things.

    Is there a power point near the bed?

    Plug the lamp into the point by the door.

    UsagePeople often say power point.

    Similarsocket, outlet

    Note
31. 31
    full stopnouncountable or uncountable

    A full stop or other mark that ends a sentence.

    Commas and points they set exactly right.

    1735, Alexander Pope, The Prologue to the SatiresHere, points means periods or other marks that end a sentence.

    Similarperiod, stop

    Note
32. 32
    rail switchnounUKcountable or uncountableplural

    Movable rails that switch a train to another track, used in the plural.

    The train waited while the points were changed.

    Frozen points held up the morning service.

    Similarswitch, turnout

    Note
33. 33
    verbtransitive

    To fill the gaps between the bricks or stones of a wall with cement and make them smooth.

    We hired a builder to point the old garden wall.

    The chimney was pointed last summer, so rain no longer gets in.

    Note
34. 34
    nouncountable

    In tennis and other racket sports, one stretch of play that ends when one side scores.

    That point went on so long that the crowd cheered every shot.

    Both players were tired after so many long points in the third set.

    Similarrally

    Note
35. 35
    nouncountable

    A mark on your driver's license for breaking a traffic law. Too many bring a penalty, like losing your license.

    Running the red light added one more point to her license.

    If you get too many points, you could lose your license.

    UsageYou get points on your license.

    Similardemerit

36. 36
    verbintransitive

    To make it seem likely that something is true or will happen.

    All these dark clouds point to rain later today.

    Everything pointed to a win for our team, but we lost in the last minute.

    Similarindicate, suggest

    Note
37. 37
    nounUScountablefinanceus

    A mortgage fee of one percent of the money you borrow, often paid to get a lower interest rate.

    We paid one point to get a better rate on our mortgage.

    The bank said we could lower our rate by paying two points.

    Note
38. 38
    verbintransitive

    To show where a hidden animal is by staring at it without moving, like some hunting dogs do.

    Our dog will point when she smells a bird in the tall grass.

    The dog stopped and pointed, and the hunters got ready.

    Note
39. 39
    verb

    In computing, to make a web address lead to a certain server.
40. 40
    noun

    One of two metal parts in an engine that touch and separate to turn electric current on and off.
41. 41
    noun

    A small mark on a letter that shows a vowel or stress.
42. 42
    noun

    A music mark for timing or tone, especially a dot that makes a note half as long again.
43. 43
    noun

    A note or melody in music.
44. 44
    nounarchaic

    The state someone or something is in.
45. 45
    noundatedUS

    A piece of inside information or a helpful tip.
46. 46
    nounobsolete

    A very tiny amount.

    full large of limbe and euery ioint / He was, and cared not for God or man a point.

    1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene
47. 47
    nounobsolete

    A very short moment.

    When time's first point begun / Made he all souls.

    1599, John Davies, “Of the Soule of Man and the Immortalitie Thereof”
48. 48
    noundated

    The best parts of something.
49. 49
    noun

    One part in ten, or long ago one part in twelve.
50. 50
    noun

    A small angle on a compass, 11.25 degrees.
51. 51
    nounUK

    A rainfall unit of one hundredth of an inch.
52. 52
    noun

    Something with a sharp end.
53. 53
    noun

    A sharp tip, such as a spearhead, fixed to a stick or handle.
54. 54
    nounobsolete

    A small sharp stick with vaccine on it.
55. 55
    noun

    One of the triangles on a backgammon board.
56. 56
    noun

    The person who goes first in a patrol or takes the lead in a risky job.
57. 57
    noun

    A sharp, strong quality in speech or writing.
58. 58
    noun

    One of the sharp ends on a deer's antlers.
59. 59
    noun

    The bottom middle of a shield in heraldry, or another corner if named.
60. 60
    noun

    A pointed shape coming up from the bottom of a shield.
61. 61
    noun

    The act of aiming something, especially stretching your foot so your toes face down in dance.
62. 62
    noun

    The still way a hunting dog stands when it finds an animal.
63. 63
    noun

    A hawk flying straight up over where its prey hid.
64. 64
    noun

    A move made with a sword in fencing.
65. 65
    noun

    A short rope used to tie up part of a sail to make it smaller.
66. 66
    noun

    A string for tying clothes together long ago.

    pick your purse while they tie your points, and cut your throat while they smooth your pillow

    1822, [Walter Scott], The Fortunes of Nigel.
67. 67
    noun

    Handmade lace sewn with a needle.
68. 68
    noun

    A cricket fielding place to the off side of the batter, between cover and gully.
69. 69
    noun

    A defending spot just ahead of the goalie in lacrosse or early ice hockey, or the player there.
70. 70
    noun

    An old baseball term for where the catcher and pitcher stood.
71. 71
    noun

    A place a hunt runs straight to across open country, or such a run.
72. 72
    verb

    To put new mortar between old bricks or stones.
73. 73
    verb

    To shape stone with a sharp tool.
74. 74
    verb

    To put a decimal point in a number.
75. 75
    verb

    To add small marks to letters to show how they are said or to tell words apart.
76. 76
    verbdated

    To put commas, periods and other marks in writing.
77. 77
    verb

    To tell a computer where in memory to find data.
78. 78
    verb

    To sail as close as a boat can toward where the wind is coming from.
79. 79
    verb

    To rise toward the skin and form a head of pus, said of a boil or abscess.
80. 80
    verbdated

    To make something said or done stronger.

    He points it, however, by no deviation from his straightforward manner of speech.

    1852, Charles Dickens, Bleak House
81. 81
    verbobsolete

    To choose a person for a job.

    And he, that points the Centinel his room, Doth license him depart at sound of morning Droom.

    1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene