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  5  definitions  found 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
  punctum,  puncta,  fr  pungere  punctum,  to  prick.  See 
  {Pungent},  and  cf  {Puncto},  {Puncture}.] 
  or  a  pin. 
  used  by  engravers,  etchers,  lace  workers,  and  others 
  also  a  pointed  cutting  tool,  as  a  stone  cutter's  point; 
  --  called  also  {pointer}. 
  3.  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 
  as  a  needle;  a  prick. 
  5.  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. 
  hence  the  verge. 
  When  time's  first  point  begun  Made  he  all  souls. 
  --Sir  J. 
  divisions  of  a  composition,  or  the  pauses  to  be  observed 
  figuratively,  an  end  or  conclusion. 
  Commas  and  points  they  set  exactly  right  --Pope. 
  8.  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  ``A  point  of  precedence.''  --Selden.  ``Creeping 
  on  from  point  to  point.''  --Tennyson. 
  9.  That  which  arrests  attention,  or  indicates  qualities  or 
  character;  a  salient  feature;  a  characteristic;  a 
  peculiarity;  hence  a  particular;  an  item;  a  detail;  as 
  He  told  him  point  for  point,  in  short  and  plain. 
  Shalt  thou  dispute  With  Him  the  points  of  liberty  ? 
  10.  Hence  the  most  prominent  or  important  feature,  as  of  an 
  the  proposition  to  be  established;  as  the  point  of  an 
  anecdote.  ``Here  lies  the  point.''  --Shak. 
  They  will  hardly  prove  his  point.  --Arbuthnot. 
  This  fellow  doth  not  stand  upon  points.  --Shak. 
  time;  as: 
  a  (Anc.  Mus.)  A  dot  or  mark  distinguishing  or 
  characterizing  certain  tones  or  styles;  as  points  of 
  perfection,  of  augmentation,  etc.;  hence  a  note;  a 
  tune.  ``Sound  the  trumpet  --  not  a  levant,  or  a 
  flourish,  but  a  point  of  war.''  --Sir  W.  Scott. 
  half  note  equal  to  three  quarter  notes. 
  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}. 
  escutcheon.  See  {Escutcheon}. 
  15.  (Naut.) 
  a  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. 
  b  A  short  piece  of  cordage  used  in  reefing  sails.  See 
  {Reef  point},  under  {Reef}. 
  17.  Lace  wrought  the  needle;  as  point  de  Venise;  Brussels 
  point.  See  Point  lace,  below. 
  18.  pl  (Railways)  A  switch.  [Eng.] 
  [Cant,  U.  S.] 
  about  twelve  or  fifteen  yards  from  and  a  little  in 
  advance  of  the  batsman. 
  as  the  dog  came  to  a  point.  See  {Pointer}. 
  type  bodies,  being  one  twelfth  of  the  thickness  of  pica 
  type  See  {Point  system  of  type},  under  {Type}. 
  23.  A  tyne  or  snag  of  an  antler. 
  24.  One  of  the  spaces  on  a  backgammon  board. 
  tierce  point. 
  sciences,  particularly  in  mathematics,  mechanics, 
  perspective,  and  physics,  but  generally  either  in  the 
  geometrical  sense  or  in  that  of  degree,  or  condition 
  of  change,  and  with  some  accompanying  descriptive  or 
  qualifying  term,  under  which  in  the  vocabulary,  the 
  specific  uses  are  explained;  as  boiling  point,  carbon 
  point,  dry  point,  freezing  point,  melting  point, 
  vanishing  point,  etc 
  {At  all  points},  in  every  particular,  completely;  perfectly. 
  {At  point},  {In  point},  {At},  {In},  or  On  {the  point},  as 
  near  as  can  be  on  the  verge;  about  (see  {About},  prep., 
  6);  as  at  the  point  of  death;  he  was  on  the  point  of 
  speaking.  ``In  point  to  fall  down.''  --Chaucer.  ``Caius 
  Sidius  Geta,  at  point  to  have  been  taken  recovered 
  himself  so  valiantly  as  brought  day  on  his  side.'' 
  {Dead  point}.  (Mach.)  Same  as  {Dead  center},  under  {Dead}. 
  {Far  point}  (Med.),  in  ophthalmology,  the  farthest  point  at 
  which  objects  are  seen  distinctly.  In  normal  eyes  the 
  nearest  point  at  which  objects  are  seen  distinctly;  either 
  each  eye  separately  (monocular  near  point). 
  {Nine  points  of  the  law},  all  but  the  tenth  point;  the 
  greater  weight  of  authority. 
  {On  the  point}.  See  {At  point},  above. 
  {Point  lace},  lace  wrought  with  the  needle,  as  distinguished 
  from  that  made  on  the  pillow. 
  {Point  net},  a  machine-made  lace  imitating  a  kind  of  Brussels 
  lace  (Brussels  ground). 
  {Point  of  concurrence}  (Geom.),  a  point  common  to  two  lines, 
  but  not  a  point  of  tangency  or  of  intersection,  as  for 
  instance,  that  in  which  a  cycloid  meets  its  base. 
  {Point  of  contrary  flexure},  a  point  at  which  a  curve  changes 
  its  direction  of  curvature,  or  at  which  its  convexity  and 
  concavity  change  sides. 
  {Point  of  order},  in  parliamentary  practice,  a  question  of 
  order  or  propriety  under  the  rules 
  {Point  of  sight}  (Persp.),  in  a  perspective  drawing,  the 
  point  assumed  as  that  occupied  by  the  eye  of  the 
  {Point  of  view},  the  relative  position  from  which  anything  is 
  seen  or  any  subject  is  considered. 
  {Points  of  the  compass}  (Naut.),  the  thirty-two  points  of 
  division  of  the  compass  card  in  the  mariner's  compass;  the 
  corresponding  points  by  which  the  circle  of  the  horizon  is 
  supposed  to  be  divided,  of  which  the  four  marking  the 
  cardinal  points,  and  the  rest  are  named  from  their 
  N.  E.,  etc  See  Illust.  under  {Compass}. 
  {Point  paper},  paper  pricked  through  so  as  to  form  a  stencil 
  for  transferring  a  design. 
  {Point  system  of  type}.  See  under  {Type}. 
  {Singular  point}  (Geom.),  a  point  of  a  curve  which  possesses 
  some  property  not  possessed  by  points  in  general  on  the 
  {To  carry  one's  point},  to  accomplish  one's  object,  as  in  a 
  {To  make  a  point  of},  to  attach  special  importance  to 
  {To  make},  or  {gain},  {a  point},  accomplish  that  which  was 
  proposed;  also  to  make  advance  by  a  step,  grade,  or 
  {To  mark},  or  {score},  {a  point},  as  in  billiards,  cricket, 
  etc.,  to  note  down  or  to  make  a  successful  hit,  run, 
  {To  strain  a  point},  to  go  beyond  the  proper  limit  or  rule 
  to  stretch  one's  authority  or  conscience. 
  {Vowel  point},  in  Hebrew,  and  certain  other  Eastern  and 
  ancient  languages,  a  mark  placed  above  or  below  the 
  consonant,  or  attached  to  it  representing  the  vowel,  or 
  vocal  sound,  which  precedes  or  follows  the  consonant. 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
  Pointer  \Point"er\,  n. 
  One  who  or  that  which  points.  Specifically: 
  a  The  hand  of  a  timepiece. 
  b  (Zo["o]l.)  One  of  a  breed  of  dogs  trained  to  stop  at 
  scent  of  game,  and  with  the  nose  point  it  out  to 
  c  pl  (Astron.)  The  two  stars  (Merak  and  Dubhe)  in  the 
  Great  Bear,  the  line  between  which  points  nearly  in  the 
  direction  of  the  north  star.  See  Illust.  of  {Ursa  Major}. 
  b  pl  (Naut.)  Diagonal  braces  sometimes  fixed  across  the 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
  n  1:  a  mark  to  indicate  a  direction  or  relation  [syn:  {arrow}] 
  2:  an  indicator  as  on  a  dial 
  3:  (computer  science)  a  movable  spot  of  light  (an  icon)  on  a 
  visual  display;  moving  the  cursor  allows  the  user  to  point 
  to  commands  or  screen  positions  [syn:  {cursor}] 
  4:  a  strong  slender  smooth-haired  dog  of  Spanish  origin  having 
  a  white  coat  with  brown  or  black  patches;  scents  out  and 
  points  game  [syn:  {Spanish  pointer}] 
  From  U.S.  Gazetteer  (1990)  [gazetteer]: 
  Pointer,  KY 
  Zip  code(s):  42544 
  1.    An  {address},  from  the  point  of  view  of  a 
  programming  language.  A  pointer  may  be  typed,  with  its  {type} 
  indicating  the  type  of  data  to  which  it  points. 
  The  terms  pointer"  and  reference"  are  generally 
  interchangable  although  particular  programming  languages  often 
  differentiate  these  two  in  subtle  ways.  For  example,  {Perl} 
  always  calls  them  references,  never  pointers.  Conversely,  in 
  C,  pointer"  is  used  although  "a  reference"  is  often  used  to 
  denote  the  concept  that  a  pointer  implements. 
  {Anthony  Hoare}  once  said: 
  Pointers  are  like  jumps,  leading  wildly  from  one  part  of  the 
  data  structure  to  another.  Their  introduction  into  high-level 
  languages  has  been  a  step  backwards  from  which  we  may  never 
  [C.A.R.Hoare  "Hints  on  Programming  Language  Design",  1973, 
  2.    (Or  "mouse  pointer")  An  {icon},  usually 
  a  small  arrow,  that  moves  on  the  screen  in  response  to 
  movement  of  a  {pointing  device},  typically  a  {mouse}.  The 
  pointer  shows  the  user  which  object  on  the  screen  will  be 
  selected  etc  when  a  mouse  button  is  clicked. 

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