noun | verb
pointpoint1 /pɔɪnt/ ●●● S1 W1 noun 1
IDEA [countable] a single fact, idea, or opinion that is part of an argument or discussion: That’s a good point. My next point is equally important. You have a point – it is kind of a scary movie, but it’s good (=your opinion seems right). I see your point (=understand your opinion). He made some interesting points during his speech. Blanchard showed us statistics to prove his point (=show that his idea or opinion is right).point about I agree with John’s point about keeping the costs down. OK, point taken. I should have asked first (=said when you accept that what someone says is true).2GAMES/SPORTS [countable] a unit used to show the score in a game or sport: Reeves scored 23 points for Arizona. If you forget to draw a card, you lose a point.3MAIN MEANING/IDEA the point the most important fact or idea: my/your/his etc. point So what’s your point? The point is, you’ve got to get some kind of job. Nobody knows where he went. That’s the whole point (=the most important fact).beside the point (=not related to the subject) Those issues are beside the point. Let me come straight to the point. He may not have stolen the money himself, but that’s not the point. Would you just get to the point (=say the important part of what you want to say)? Whitney missed the point of the whole discussion (=did not understand the main meaning). The letter was short and to the point (=only dealing with the most important subject or idea). She looks like her mother, and, even more to the point, acts like her (=used when mentioning an even more important fact).4IN TIME/DEVELOPMENT [countable] a specific moment, time, or stage in something’s development: at a point We’re not planning to hire anyone else at this point. The family moved to Oregon at some point in the last century. At one point, I really wanted to just give up. Both sides accepted the proposal as a starting point for negotiations (=stage from which something can start). The battle was a turning point in the war (=time when things changed).to the point of He was tired to the point of crying.the high/low point (=the best/worst moment) It was the high point of her college career. We’ve reached a point where we don’t have enough money to continue.► see thesaurus at stage15PURPOSE [uncountable] the purpose or aim of doing something: point of The whole point of this legislation is to protect children.point of/in doing something What’s the point of calling a meeting when the chairman can’t be there? There’s no point in paying rent if you’re not living there. I don’t see the point of worrying too much about your diet.► see thesaurus at purpose16QUALITY/FEATURE [countable] a particular quality or feature that someone or something has: His plan has both good and bad points. The main selling point of the drug is that it has fewer side effects. Getting along with other people is not Nick’s strong point (=he is not very good at it). She’s made a specialty of teaching the finer points (=the small details) of gardening. The church is the focal point of this small community (=the feature that people pay most attention to).7the point of no return a stage in a process or activity when it becomes impossible to stop it or do something different: The dam project has reached the point of no return.8on the point of (doing) something going to do something very soon: The country’s economy is on the point of collapse.9the boiling/freezing/melting etc. point (of something) the temperature at which something boils, freezes, melts, etc.10MEASURE ON A SCALE [countable] a mark or measure on a scale: Stock prices moved up 27 points today.11IN NUMBERS [countable] math the sign (.) used to separate a whole number from the decimals that follow it: Unemployment has fallen one point nine percent (=1.9%).12SHARP END [countable] a sharp end of something: She licked the pencil point before she wrote.► see thesaurus at end113place [countable] a particular place where something happens: There were long lines at the border crossing point. No cars are allowed beyond this point. The wheel revolves around a fixed point (=a small place that does not move).► see thesaurus at place114up to a point partly, but not completely: That’s true, up to a point.15make a point of doing something to do something deliberately: Bridget made a point of thanking each of us for the gift.16MATH [countable] math an exact place on a geometrical drawing, which has no width or length or height: Line A crosses line B at point C.17PIECE OF LAND earth science [countable] a long thin piece of land that stretches out into the ocean18PRINT [countable, uncountable] a unit for measuring the size of type (=individual letters, numbers, etc.) in printing: I need a 12-point font.19SMALL SPOT [countable] a very small spot: We could see tiny points of light in the distance.20DIRECTION [countable] one of the marks on a compass that shows direction21in point of fact used when giving correct information when someone has previously given the wrong information: Many people believe surgery is the only answer. In point of fact, a change in diet is often enough.22not to put too fine a point on it spoken used when you are saying something in a very direct way that might upset someone: Everyone there – not to put too fine a point on it – was crazy.[Origin: 1200–1300 partly from Old French point small hole or spot, point in time or space, from Latin punctum; partly from Old French pointe sharp end, from Vulgar Latin puncta, from Latin pungere] → see also get/earn brownie points at brownie (4), vantage pointCOLLOCATIONSadjectivesa good/excellent point I think that’s a very good point.an interesting point He has made an interesting point.an important point That’s an important point to bear in mind.a key/crucial point (=a very important point) I underlined key points in red.a serious point He’s making a joke but there is a serious point to it.a valid point She raised a number of valid points.a general point I’d like to make one further general point.a similar point He made a similar point in his previous article.the main point The conclusion should summarize the main points of the essay.one final/last point There is one final point I would like to make.a sticking point (=a point on which people disagree, preventing something from being successful) The issue has become a major sticking point in the negotiations.a moot point (=a point that does not matter) I do not know if I was truly alone in the building; it is a moot point, as I met no one.verbsmake a point He makes the point that predicting behavior is not easy.get your point across (=make people understand it) Pictures can help you get your point across.raise a point (=mention it) I was going to raise the same point.illustrate/demonstrate a point A simple example will illustrate the point.prove a point (=prove that what you say is right) He was determined to prove his point.understand a point I’m sorry, I don’t understand your point.see/get somebody’s point (=understand or agree with it) OK, I get your point. But there are still other problems to deal with.have a point (=have made a good point) Maybe she has a point and we should slow down.emphasize a point Kelley emphasized the point again in his conclusion.drive a point home (=prove a point and make sure people pay attention to it) To drive the point home, the doctor noted that 1 in 3 Americans are overweight.belabor the point (=keep saying something) I don’t want to belabor the point, but why didn’t you just tell me? noun | verb
pointpoint2 ●●● S1 W1 verb 1
SHOW something WITH YOUR FINGER [intransitive] to show something to someone by holding out your finger or a thin object towards it: Babies learn to point before they learn to talk.point at “Look,” she said, pointing at the screen.point to/toward Harry pointed excitedly to the waterfall.point up/down/across “There they are,” she said as she pointed down the mountainside. He pointed his finger at David. The man pointed in the direction of a large yellow house.2AIM [intransitive always + adv./prep., transitive] to aim something in a particular direction, or to be aimed in that direction: point at/to/toward etc. Hundreds of cameras pointed toward the president.point something at somebody/something The man pointed the gun at her head.3MACHINE/CLOCK ETC. [intransitive always + adv./prep.] to show a particular amount, number, time, direction, etc. on a machine, clock, compass, etc.: The arrow always points north.point to/toward It will be time to go when the big hand points to 12 and the little hand points to 8.4SHOW somebody WHERE TO GO [intransitive always + adv./prep., transitive always + adv./prep.] to show someone which direction to go: Could you point me in the right direction? A handmade sign for the party pointed down a dirt road.► see thesaurus at lead15suggest something is true [intransitive always + adv./prep.] if facts, a situation, etc. point to something, they suggest that it is true: All the evidence seemed to point that way.point to/toward His symptoms all point to a stomach ulcer. Everything points to her having died from a drug overdose.6say what to do [transitive always + adv./prep.] to suggest what someone should do: My teachers all pointed me toward college. A good financial advisor will be able to point you in the right direction.7point the finger at somebody informal to blame someone or say that he or she has done something wrong: point at Everyone was pointing the finger at the government, saying they had not done enough to help.8point the way a)to show how something could change or develop successfully: point to/toward The development points the way to some new approaches to urban planning. b)to show which direction you need to go to find something: point to/toward No signs point the way to Carson’s grave.9point your toes to stretch the ends of your feet down, for example when you are dancingpoint out phrasal verb1point something ↔ out to tell someone something that he or she does not already know or has not thought about: He got very angry when Emily pointed out his mistake. I hadn’t noticed the ad until Bill pointed it out.point out that Critics point out that there is little evidence to support his theory.point something out to somebody Robinson pointed out to them that the changes would actually improve the property.► see thesaurus at say12point somebody/something ↔ out to show something to someone by pointing at it: Luke pointed out two large birds by the water’s edge. Several passengers pointed him out to the police.point to something phrasal verb to mention something because you think it is important and proves something: Rollings points to improved test scores as evidence that the changes are working.point something ↔ up phrasal verb to make something seem more important or more noticeable SYN highlight: The crash points up the need for new safety regulations.