point (points plural & 3rd person present) (pointing present participle) (pointed past tense & past participle )
1 n-count You use point to refer to something that someone has said or written.
We disagree with every point Mr Blunkett makes..., The following tale will clearly illustrate this point.
2 n-sing If you say that someone has a point, or if you take their point, you mean that you accept that what they have said is important and should be considered.
a N, poss N
`If he'd already killed once, surely he'd have killed Sarah?' She had a point there...
3 n-sing The point of what you are saying or discussing is the most important part that provides a reason or explanation for the rest.
the N
`Did I ask you to talk to me?'<emdash10001`That's not the point.'..., The American Congress and media mostly missed the point about all this.
4 n-sing If you ask what thepointof something is, or say that there is no pointin it, you are indicating that a particular action has no purpose or would not be useful.
usu N of/in n/-ing
What was the point of thinking about him?..., There was no point in staying any longer.
5 n-count A point is a detail, aspect, or quality of something or someone.
usu with supp
The most interesting point about the village was its religion..., Science was never my strong point at school.
6 n-count A point is a particular place or position where something happens.
The pain originated from a point in his right thigh.
7 n-sing You use point to refer to a particular time, or to a particular stage in the development of something.
with supp, oft at N
We're all going to die at some point..., At this point Diana arrived..., It got to the point where he had to leave.
8 n-count The point of something such as a pin, needle, or knife is the thin, sharp end of it.
oft N of n
9 In spoken English, you use point to refer to the dot or mark in a decimal number that separates the whole numbers from the fractions.
Inflation at nine point four percent is the worst for eight years.
10 n-count In some sports, competitions, and games, a point is one of the single marks that are added together to give the total score.
They lost the 1977 World Cup final to Australia by a single point...
11 n-count The points of the compass are directions such as North, South, East, and West.
usu with supp
Sightseers arrived from all points of the compass.
12 n-plural On a railway track, the points are the levers and rails at a place where two tracks join or separate. The points enable a train to move from one track to another.
(BRIT)
...the rattle of the wheels across the points.
in AM, use switches
13 n-count A point is an electric socket.
(BRIT) usu supp N
...too far away from the nearest electrical point.
14 verb If you point at a person or thing, you hold out your finger towards them in order to make someone notice them.
I pointed at the boy sitting nearest me... V at n
He pointed to a chair, signalling for her to sit. V to n
15 verb If you point something at someone, you aim the tip or end of it towards them.
David Khan pointed his finger at Mary... V n at n
A man pointed a gun at them and pulled the trigger. V n at n
16 verb If something pointsto a place or points in a particular direction, it shows where that place is or it faces in that direction.
An arrow pointed to the toilets... V prep/adv
You can go anywhere and still the compass points north or south... V prep/adv
17 verb If something points to a particular situation, it suggests that the situation exists or is likely to occur.
Private polls and embassy reports pointed to a no vote. V to n
18 verb If you point to something that has happened or that is happening, you are using it as proof that a particular situation exists.
George Fodor points to other weaknesses in the way the campaign has progressed... V to n
19 verb When builders point a wall, they put a substance such as cement into the gaps between the bricks or stones in order to make the wall stronger and seal it.
V n
20
→
pointed
→
breaking point
→
focal point
→
point of sale
→
point of view
→
power point
→
sticking point
→
vantage point
21 If you say that something is beside the point, you mean that it is not relevant to the subject that you are discussing.
beside the point phrase v-link PHR
(=irrelevant)
Brian didn't like it, but that was beside the point.
22 When someone comes to the point or gets to the point, they start talking about the thing that is most important to them.
come/get to the point phrase V inflects
Was she ever going to get to the point?
23 If you make your point or prove your point, you prove that something is true, either by arguing about it or by your actions or behaviour.
make/prove one's point phrase V inflects
I think you've made your point, dear..., The tie-break proved the point.
24 If you make a point of doing something, you do it in a very deliberate or obvious way.
make a point of phrase V inflects, PHR -ing
She made a point of spending as much time as possible away from Osborne House.
25 If you are on the point of doing something, you are about to do it.
on the point of phrase v-link PHR n/-ing
He was on the point of saying something when the phone rang..., She looked on the point of tears.
26 Something that is to the point is relevant to the subject that you are discussing, or expressed neatly without wasting words or time.
to the point phrase v-link PHR
The description which he had been given was brief and to the point.
27 If you say that something is true up to a point , you mean that it is partly but not completely true.
up to a point phrase PHR with cl
`Was she good?'—`Mmm. Up to a point.'
28
→
a case in point
→
case
→
in point of fact
→
fact
→
to point the finger at someone
→
finger
→
a sore point
→
sore point out
1 phrasal verb If you point out an object or place, you make people look at it or show them where it is.
They kept standing up to take pictures and point things out to each other... V n P
They'd already driven along the wharf so that she could point out her father's boat. V P n (not pron)
2 phrasal verb If you point out a fact or mistake, you tell someone about it or draw their attention to it.
I should point out that these estimates cover just the hospital expenditures... V P that
We all too easily point out our mothers' failings. V P n (not pron)