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单词 point
释义

point

/pɔɪnt /
noun
1The tapered, sharp end of a tool, weapon, or other object: the point of his dagger a pencil point...
  • Small children and sharp points don't go together.
  • The defendant claimed his father had had a carving knife and had become aggressive and he had felt the point of the weapon in his back.
  • I dropped my tool on its point, which blunted it, so the left side is less worked and detailed than the right side.

Synonyms

tip, sharp end, tapered end, end, extremity;
prong, spike, tine, nib, barb
1.1 Archaeology A pointed flake or blade, especially one that has been worked.Four specimens appear to be products of failed attempts to create points from very thin flakes....
  • At Teviec in Brittany a male burial had two flint points embedded in his spine.
  • The rich material culture includes flint and bone projectile points, fishing equipment, and decorated bone and stone.
1.2 Ballet another term for pointe.Dressed in a tutu, she dances on point....
  • He's astonished by the way dancers on point don't wobble.
  • Ballet's use of point shoes is not intended to cripple the dancer's feet.
1.3 Boxing The tip of a person’s chin as a spot for a blow: Andrews caught him on the point...
  • Harry hit him on the point of his chin.
  • I caught him on the point and knocked him backward.
  • She concentrated hard to gather her wits, and when Frank paused, slammed a right uppercut to the point of his chin.
1.4The prong of a deer’s antler: a fine buck of eight points...
  • There is a stuffed deer in the Nature House at the Nature Park, a small buck with two points on each antler.
  • Since then the head has been examined by experts and is found to have antlers with 16 points.
  • His antlers have seven points.
2A dot or other punctuation mark, in particular a full stop.Footnote numbering in the text should be placed after the full point at the end of a sentence....
  • Every punctuation point had better be right.
  • When elements are removed from inside a word or phrase, but nothing is taken from the end, a full point is often omitted.
2.1A decimal point: fifty-five point nine...
  • Six point nine percent, that's a nine-year high.
  • I undid my seat belt and hopped out of the car in my usual two point nine seconds.
  • Ninety-nine point nine percent of the people were interested and enthusiastic and the attitude was very favourable.
2.2A dot or small stroke used in Semitic languages to indicate vowels or distinguish particular consonants.The vowel is sometimes written; and at others it is expressed by the point above the consonant....
  • Before the Babylonian system of punctuation was discovered, it was believed that the Tiberian system of vowel points was the only one the Jews had ever invented.
2.3A very small dot or mark: the sky was studded with points of light...
  • She glanced up at the sky studded with the millions of tiny points of light not seen from the city and marveled, as always, at the vastness.
  • The points of light are collected and used to reconstruct a 3D digital image.
  • From that terracing came a continual glinting of points of light as innumerable cigarettes were lit.

Synonyms

pinpoint, dot, spot, speck, fleck, mark
3A particular spot, place, or position in an area or on a map, object, or surface: turn left at the point where you see a sign to Appleford the furthermost point of the gallery the check-in point...
  • It said that the investigators conducted 783 tests at screening points and other areas of airport security.
  • People can hand in their unused glasses and sunglasses at a number of collection points in the area.
  • Being one of the highest points in the area, it is considered to be a sacred grove.

Synonyms

place, position, location, site, spot, area, locality, locale
technical locus
3.1A particular moment in time or stage in a process: from this point onwards the teacher was completely won over...
  • There comes a point in the refurbishment process where the law of diminishing returns come into play.
  • There are three points in this process at which learning can potentially play a role.
  • From the point of conception onwards, parents are now viewed as a risk factor in their children's lives.

Synonyms

time, stage, juncture, period, phase;
moment in time, moment, instant
3.2 (usually the point) The critical or decisive moment: when it came to the point he would probably do what was expected of him...
  • When it came to the point, little economic or social and no military action was taken.
  • Conversation ceases to resolve the internal contention between characters, words fail and the conflict comes to the point.
  • He talks and talks, but when it comes to the point he either does nothing or he's just evasive.

Synonyms

decisive moment, critical moment, moment of truth, point of no return, crunch, crux, zero hour
3.3 (the point of) The verge or brink of (doing or being something): she was on the point of leaving...
  • But often the outcry over the loss of a rural post office only starts when it has closed or is on the point of closing.
  • The club last night appeared to be on the point of calling in the receivers.
  • Relief was clear because the tour had seemed on the point of foundering.

Synonyms

just about to, on the verge of, about to, going to, on the brink of, ready to, all set to
3.4 [usually with modifier] A stage or level at which a change of state occurs: local kennels are full to bursting point...
  • The company appears to be on target to hit a cashflow break-even point by the end of the year.
  • The Festival reaches climax point on Sunday with something for all the family.
  • The company has slipped back into the red just three months after crowing that it had reached break-even point.

Synonyms

level, degree, stage, pitch, extent, height
3.5 [with modifier] British A socket in a wall for connecting a device to an electrical supply or communications network: a power point...
  • We were in a metal box with gas bottles, connected to an electrical hook-up point.
  • A fast wireless access point means you can connect your laptop to the machine and roam around the house.
  • The drawings also show electrical points for television equipment, speakers and telephones in the pool surround.
3.6(In geometry) something having position but not spatial extent, magnitude, dimension, or direction, for example the intersection of two lines.The points of intersection of the three lines located the centers of mass....
  • Every point on these lines has the same properties as the end-point on the N border.
  • The arrow in Fig.4A denotes the point of intersection used for sensitivity analyses.
4A single item or detail in an extended discussion, list, or text: the main points of the Edinburgh agreement...
  • It has already warned that the housing market is beginning to cool so the impact of the new rules is likely to be the main point of interest.
  • He was reluctant to be drawn into any detailed discussion of this point.
  • Bulleted lists of key points at the end of each chapter provide an excellent review for students.

Synonyms

detail, item, particular, fact, thing, piece of information, idea, argument, consideration, factor, element, aspect, regard, respect;
subject, issue, topic, question, matter
(points) informaldeets
4.1An argument or idea: he made the point that economic regulation involves controls on pricing...
  • They put their ideas and points across very eloquently.
  • He/she who needs to resort to violence to prove a point, has a poor argument.
  • He made some very valid points in his argument.

Synonyms

most important fact, main point, central point, essential point, essence, nub, focal point, salient point, heart of the matter, keynote, core, pith, marrow, meat, crux;
meaning, significance, signification, import, gist, substance, drift, thrust, burden, theme, sense, moral, relevance, tenor
informal brass tacks, nitty-gritty
4.2 (usually the point) The significant or essential element of something being planned or discussed: it took her a long time to come to the point some speakers rambled and never seemed to get to the point that’s not the point...
  • Surely the point is that rules and guidelines like this are to be applauded whatever the source.
  • Whatever its deficiencies, the point was that it was inclusive, not divisive.
  • Grant says the point is that no one knows what it's like to be Lauren or what's going on inside her head.
4.3 [in singular, usually with negative or in questions] Advantage or purpose that can be gained from doing something: there was no point in denying the truth what’s the point of having things I don’t need?...
  • There's no point in buying a new dishwasher just as you're about to move house.
  • There's no point in being the most skilful player, if you can't keep yourself on the field of play.
  • There is no point in moaning about it.

Synonyms

purpose, aim, object, objective, goal, intention, end, design, reason, use, utility, sense, motive, value, advantage
4.4 [mass noun] Relevance or effectiveness.I am therefore exceedingly unwilling that any thing, however slight, which my illustrious friend thought it worth his while to express, with any degree of point, should perish....
  • As well as giving point to the subject, experience of algebraic representation is crucial if pupils are to understand and use precise algebraic language.
  • His remarks were always full of point, clearness, and good sense.
4.5A distinctive feature or characteristic, typically a good one, of a person or thing: he has his good points...
  • They may want to create rich characters that have good points as well as bad ones.
  • The reception rooms, large garden and garage are likely to prove key selling points.
  • The spacious master bedroom is on the top floor and should prove a key selling point.

Synonyms

attribute, characteristic, feature, trait, quality, property, aspect, facet, side;
streak, peculiarity, idiosyncrasy
5(In sports and games) a mark or unit of scoring awarded for success or performance: he kicked a penalty goal to put Bangor eight points ahead...
  • To score 17 points in a game, and still lose, is a very bitter pill to swallow.
  • He was captain of the basketball team and set a school record by scoring 22 points in a game.
  • He kicked two vital points from play when they were needed most.
5.1A unit used in measuring value, achievement, or extent: the shares index was down seven points...
  • The polls had a margin of error of four percentage points.
  • The figure represents an increase of 7.7 percentage points from last year.
  • However, the news isn't all good: gross margins slipped by 0.3 percentage points year on year.
5.2An advantage or success in an argument or discussion: she smiled, assuming she had won her point...
  • Napoleon won his point that bishops and clergy should be paid salaries by the state.
  • I could go on, but I think I've made my point.
  • I felt then like I would never go back to work until we had won our point.
5.3A unit of credit towards an award or benefit: points were allocated according to the inadequacy of the existing accommodation...
  • For every special initiative they are credited with further points.
  • I wouldn't let a few points off of my credit score keep me from purchasing a home.
  • If she receives the required points, Deirdre hopes to study Forensic Science.
5.4A percentage of the profits from a film or recording offered to certain people involved in its production.The percentage involvement reflects a hierarchy, so the director of photography has more points than the clapper loader....
  • Because he is a producer as well as an actor you can be sure he has points in the film.
  • All the cast and crew will be paid when the film gets sold, and core cast and crew have points in the film should it return a profit.
5.5 (point of) (In piquet) the longest suit in a player’s hand, containing a specified number of up to eight cards.The number of cards in the suit is announced (e.g. ‘point of 5’) and it scores this number....
  • If the Elder has at least four cards in a suit, he may make a declaration. For example, ‘Point of four’.
5.6A unit of weight (2 mg) for diamonds.A 100 point diamond might cost three times as much as a 50 point diamond....
  • Even a one-point difference in a diamond's weight can dramatically affect its value.
  • The point system provides a convenient – and more impressive – way of describing diamonds that are less than one carat.
5.7A unit of varying value, used in quoting the price of stocks, bonds, or futures.A supreme court defeat would wipe four or five points off the price of the bond in a day....
  • When message boards first took off in the mid 90s, postings like that could send stock up or down several points in a day.
  • It seems hard to believe that just a short year ago the Nasdaq was over 5,000 points and climbing.
5.8 Bridge A value assigned to certain cards (4 points for an ace, 3 for a king, 2 for a queen, and 1 for a jack, sometimes with extra points for long or short suits) by a player in assessing the strength of their hand: in Acol it is permissible to open with only twelve points...
  • After a claim, the claiming player's tricks are exposed and the card points are counted.
  • On each deal, there is a target score which depends on the number of high card points held.
  • The result of the hand depends on the number of card points won by the opponents.
6Each of thirty-two directions marked at equal distances round a compass.Arrayed around it like points on the compass rose were sections of the house....
  • It had a huge screen, curved around four seats, each facing in the way of their own compass points, it seemed.
  • She licked the pad and pressed it onto the glass next to the compass point.
6.1A direction towards the horizon corresponding to the direction marked on a compass.The wind appeared to blow from all points of the compass at once, a trick of which Dublin winds have the secret....
  • At various distances and points of the compass, he could see other men holding red and white striped poles.
  • After missing a couple of early sighters, Carter kicked goals from all points of the compass.
6.2The angular interval between two successive points of a compass, i.e. one eighth of a right angle (11° 15ʹ).
6.3 (points ——) Unspecified places considered in terms of their direction from a specified place: they headed down Highway 401 to Ontario and points west...
  • Passengers for points west could go through without stopping to change cars.
  • He hit the road for points east.
  • We would rent out our house in Ireland and use that income to explore North America, then buy a camper van and travel down to Mexico, and all points south.
7A narrow piece of land jutting out into the sea: the boat came round the point [in names]: Blakeney Point...
  • I elect to stay outside and swim round the point, making a circuit back to the boat through an archway in the cliff.
  • We'll go back around the point and into that last small bight we passed on our way here.
  • I'm just taking the canoe around the point for a little paddle.

Synonyms

promontory, headland, head, foreland, cape, peninsula, bluff, ness, horn, bill
8 (usually points) British A junction of two railway lines, with a pair of linked tapering rails that can be moved laterally to allow a train to pass from one line to the other: the train gave a lurch as it passed over the points...
  • Because of the vibration of the trains passing over points, bolts may loosen slightly over time.
  • The first train to pass over the points was the 7am service to Glasgow.
  • The line could be extended to Skipton, and beyond, by the simple addition of a set of points at Embsay Junction.
9 Printing A unit of measurement for type sizes and spacing (in the UK and US 0.351 mm, in Europe 0.376 mm).Because monitors display at different resolutions, 12-point type on one screen could approximate 14-point type on another....
  • Using 10-point font size for the main text the printing area should be 12.2 x 19.3 cm.
10 Cricket A fielding position on the off side near the batsman.You will usually find the best fielder in the team fielding at point....
  • I also field at point.
  • Players noted for their agility, acceleration and throwing accuracy will often field in the infield positions such as point, cover and mid-wicket.
10.1A fielder at the point position.The point all the while must keep his face towards the batter....
  • Point does not chat with cover-point.
10.2 Ice Hockey Either of two areas to the left and right of the net, just inside the blue line where it meets the boards.Usually the players at the two points are the defensemen....
  • He was robbed of what looked a certain goal when he moved in from the point was stopped by a big block.
  • She skated in from her position at the point to collect a pass in the right circle.
11 (usually points) (In a motor vehicle) each of a set of electrical contacts in the distributor.If the points need to be replaced you must remove the flywheel....
  • The distributor should be completely dismantled and the points examined.
  • I cleaned the points and the bike is now rideable.
12A small leading party of an advanced guard of troops.They were advancing slowly in three points across the Realm, wiping out anything that stood against them....
  • He sent three of his men ahead as a ‘point’.
12.1 [mass noun] chiefly North American The position at the head of a column or wedge of troops: he walked point and I took the tail...
  • Who wants to walk point today?
  • I know the layout of the town best, so I'll ride point.
12.2chiefly North American short for point man.
13 (usually points) The extremities of an animal, typically a horse or cat, such as the face, paws, and tail of a Siamese cat: a pure white dog with black points...
  • The dorsal stripe is the color of the horse's points.
  • The mask, legs and tail should all show clear tabby markings which should be the same colour on all points.
14 Hunting A spot to which a straight run is made.These marshy channels are the invariable point of any hunted boar....
  • The hounds turned again, and the fox made his point which proved to be Glenn Gorse.
14.1A straight run: our fox made his point to Moorhill...
  • The hounds made an eight mile point in a little over 45 minutes.
  • My maternal grandfather was 84 when he died, having ridden a five-mile point to hounds barely six weeks before.
  • There was much gnashing of teeth, as there were but eight riders with them, and it was a point of eight miles.
15 (usually points) historical A tagged piece of ribbon or cord used for lacing a garment or attaching a hose to a doublet.He began to untruss his points....
  • He accommodated the friar with his assistance in tying the endless number of points.
16A short piece of cord at the lower edge of a sail for tying up a reef.The top-sails are always reefed with points....
  • I was paying attention to getting the points tied in and the main halyard stowed.
  • The eye of one point is put through the hole in the reef-hand.
17 [mass noun] The action or position of a dog in pointing: a bird dog on point...
  • Some dogs tend to exhibit signs of jealousy on seeing another dog on point.
  • She exhibits classic English setter style on point with a nice running gait.
  • She can hold a point for what seems like an eternity.
18 Music An important phrase or subject, especially in a contrapuntal composition.Stokowski changes gear at points as if he decided tempos needed geared up....
  • It is almost as if the conductor/composer had changed the orchestration at points.
verb
1 [no object] Direct someone’s attention towards something by extending one’s finger or something held in one’s hand: the lads were nudging each other and pointing at me...
  • He had managed to distract the man's attention by pointing at something behind his back.
  • ‘There you go, again,’ he said, his finger pointing at the pictures.
  • Carol looked to see what her finger was pointing at.
1.1 [with adverbial] Indicate a particular time, direction, or reading: a sign pointing left...
  • At Castle Place the Coney Island sign is pointing in the wrong direction which must be very confusing for visitors.
  • They all now came down to a brown old sign that pointed in two directions.
  • Consumer spending indicators are pointing down.
1.2 [with object] Direct or aim (something) at someone or something: he pointed the torch beam at the floor...
  • ‘Back away,’ Floyd directed, pointing a large stick of chalk at Kyle.
  • He is pictured pointing his weapon at his colleague.
  • It is tempting to try a few long exposure shots provided you don't have an unwary fellow-guest pointing his flash light at you.

Synonyms

aim, direct, level, train;
North American draw/get a bead on
1.3 [with adverbial of direction] Face or be turned in a particular direction: two of its toes point forward and two point back...
  • Stand erect with feet slightly wider than shoulder width, toes pointing slightly outward.
  • My feet are set about shoulder width, the toes pointed slightly outward.
  • Four giant white spotlights were illuminated from the top of each gantry, pointing upwards towards the sky.
2 [no object, with adverbial] Cite a fact or situation as evidence of something: he points to several factors supporting this conclusion...
  • He points to the fact that in the judgment which we have given we have not doubted the verdict of the jury.
  • He pointed rightly to the fact that the business of the Company had been preserved, as had over a hundred jobs.
  • His detractors have pointed at these disappointments as evidence of his shortcomings.
2.1 (point to) (Of a fact or situation) indicate that (something) is likely to happen or be the case: everything pointed to an Eastern attack...
  • It also points to the fact that work by women has been neglected on the stage of one of our foremost theatres.
  • For the next few weeks at least all the directional indicators are pointing to blood in the hencoop.
  • There are many facts pointing to sweeping climatic changes in the Earth's distant past.

Synonyms

indicate, suggest, be evidence of, evidence, signal, signify, denote, be symptomatic of, be a sign/symptom of, reveal, manifest
literary bespeak, betoken
2.2 [with object] Give force or emphasis to (words or actions): he wouldn’t miss the opportunity to point a moral...
  • The Coroner, in pointing the moral, condemned the sale at hucksters' shops of cheap, pernicious cigarettes and said the case should be a warning to boys addicted to cigarette smoking.
  • He points his words with barbs of humor to make them stick.
  • She leant across the table and pointed her remarks with her knitting needles.
3 [with object] chiefly Ballet Extend (the toes) by tensing the foot and ankle so as to form a point: reach up with your arms and point your toes...
  • She lay on her bed and did some exercises, stretching out her legs and feet and pointing her toes.
  • From this position, flick your foot until your toes lift off the floor slightly, pointing your toes as they lift.
  • Diligently pointing their feet, they march onstage and take their places at the barre.
4 [with object] Fill the joints of (brickwork or masonry) with smoothly finished mortar: the bricks have been poorly pointed...
  • The brickwork was being pointed up and painters were carefully applying fresh coats of white paint to doors and lintels.
  • Paddy Geraghty and myself used to point that wall when I was employed in the wood many years ago.
  • Ideally you should point the brickwork after the bricks have been laid long enough for the mortar to start to set.
5 [with object] Give a sharp, tapered point to: he twisted and pointed his moustache...
  • Anthony would make the best devil, if we pointed his beard and gelled his hair.
  • They painted by hand and pointed the tips of their brushes by moistening the tips between their lips.
  • Shape the sticks into batons by shaving off the square corners and pointing the ends.
6 [with object] Insert points in (written text of Semitic languages).Some manuscripts are pointed with what looks like the Land of Israel system written with Tiberian symbols....
  • This variety of reading arises chiefly from the different modes of pointing the Hebrew words.
  • The method of pointing the texts which was ultimately accepted was developed by a group of scholars called the Masoretes.
6.1Mark (Psalms) with signs for chanting.Any system of pointing the psalms is bound to receive criticism, as, by its nature, it implies a subjective interpretation of the words....
  • I have found this discussion very interesting with solid guidance for pointing the psalms and choosing psalm tones.
  • This effect probably owes something to her experience of churchgoing, from which she would have learnt the Anglican practice of ‘pointing’ psalms.
7 [with object] (Of a dog) indicate the presence of (game) by standing rigid while looking towards it.The judges will not only base their classification on the number of times a dog points game, but rather on the overall quality of the points....
  • If one dog points game the other dog must back the first dog.
  • Both dogs found and pointed a group of about seven or eight birds.

Phrases

at all points

beside (or off) the point

case in point

in point of fact

make one's point

make a point of

on point

point the finger

the point of no return

point of sailing

point taken

score points

take someone's point

to the point

up to a point

win on points

Phrasal verbs

point something out

point something up

Origin

Middle English: the noun partly from Old French point, from Latin punctum 'something that is pricked', giving rise to the senses 'unit, mark, point in space or time'; partly from Old French pointe, from Latin puncta 'pricking', giving rise to the senses 'sharp tip, promontory'. The verb is from Old French pointer, and in some senses from the English noun.

  • Most senses of point ultimately derive from Latin punctum ‘a small hole made by pricking’, giving rise to the meanings ‘unit, mark, point in space or time’, from pungere ‘to pierce or prick’. From the same source are punctuation (mid 16th century) which makes small marks on the text; punctual (Late Middle English) arriving at the right point in time; punctilious (mid 17th century) attending to the small points in behaviour; and puncture (Late Middle English) a small hole. A boxer wins on points (late 19th century) when he wins because the referee and judges have awarded him more points than his opponent, rather than by a knockout. The point of no return (mid 20th century) is the point in a flight at which it is impossible for an aircraft to return to its point of departure because of lack of fuel and so it has no choice but to continue. Thus it can also be the point at which you are committed to a course of action and must continue to the end. To refuse or ask about something point-blank (late 16th century) is to do so directly or abruptly and without explanation. The phrase literally describes a shot or bullet fired from very close to its target, blank being used here in the old sense of ‘the white spot in the centre of a target’. If you aim or point a gun directly at the centre of the target, you need to be sufficiently close for the bullet still to be travelling horizontally (rather than starting to follow a downward trajectory) as it hits the spot. The more general meaning arose as far back as the 1650s. See also poignant

Rhymes

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