poynt
English
Noun
poynt (plural poynts)
- Obsolete form of point.
- 1612, Michael Drayton, Poly-Olbion, song 11 p. 175:
- Which over Severne heere they in the Mountaines shut,
And some upon that poynt of Cornwall forth they put.
Middle English
Etymology
Borrowed from Old French point, puint, pointe and Anglo-Norman puingte.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /pui̯nt/, /ˈpui̯nt(ə)/
Noun
poynt (plural poyntes or poyns)
- small hole, puncture, prick
- point, very small dot
- dot serving as a punctuation mark, point, period
- (geometry) point (zero-dimensional mathematical object)
- smallest quantity of something, jot, whit
- small division of a scale, especially as a unit of measurement, degree
- tiny amount of time, instant, moment
- particular moment, point in time
- decisive moment; moment of action, decision, or opportunity
- spot, location, point in space
- centerpoint or point of revolution, midpoint, pole
- topic of discussion, issue, point
- focus of conversation or consideration; main idea, point, central theme
- principle, proposition, statement to be followed
- proposal, idea, plan of action
- 14th Century, Chaucer, General Prologue
- This is the poynt, to speken short and pleyn: / That ech of yow, to shorte with oure weye, / In this viage shal telle tales tweye […]
- This is the idea, to speak briefly and clearly: / That each of you, to make our way feel short, / Shall tell two tales on this journey […]
- This is the poynt, to speken short and pleyn: / That ech of yow, to shorte with oure weye, / In this viage shal telle tales tweye […]
- 14th Century, Chaucer, General Prologue
- purpose, objective, goal, intention
- reason, cause
- individual element in a larger whole, such as a rule in a code of rules, an item in a list, or a verse of the Bible; detail, article, particular, item
- instance, example of a general principle
- accusation, charge
- stage, phase, as of the moon
- condition, state, often specifically a good condition
- personal characteristic, quality, often specifically a good quality, virtue
- activity, individual action or event
- individual skill or technique in some art
- point, sharp tip of an object
- sharp edge of a blade
- pointed weapon, weapon with a sharp tip
- (by extension, often plural) armed encounter, combat
- other pointed tool, such as a nail or writing stylus
- any projecting extremity of an object
- headland, peninsula, promontory
- vanguard, front line of an army in formation
- front point of a horse’s hoof
- apex, climax, height
- string or lace used to tie together certain garments, particularly armor
- (medicine) stitch used in sewing together a wound
- (chess) square of a chessboard
- (backgammon) any of the twelve triangular positions in either table of a backgammon board, on which the stones are played
- musical note or phrase, fragment of a tune
- (heraldry) point
Derived terms
References
- “pointe, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
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