point 
Alencon point. See Alrn,,n laet. under tow. Alveolar 
point. Bee alveolar, and cut under croui(ry. Ap- 
parent double point. see <iwxirMi. Archimedean 
point, the Initial recruit Ion of one's own existence as 
given in com* iotmneu : BU called because this was sup- 
posed to supply the necessary point or fulcrum of Indu- 
bitable fact on which to raise the structure of philosophy. 
Armed at all points. Sec armed. At all points 
(formerly of all points 1 In every particular; completely. 
The thlrde was Monevull, that was a noble knyght and 
rlchdy armed of alb pointei. Mtrlin(E. E. T. 8.), 11L 502.. 
Young Eustace Is a gentleman at all point*. 
And his behaviour affable and courtly. 
Fletcher (and another), Elder brother, 111. 1. 
At or In (the) point, on the point ; ready ; about (to) : 
sometimes used with on or upon. 
My son in point Is for to lete 
The holy lawea of oure Alkaron. 
Chaucer, Man of Law's Tale, 1. 233. 
And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die ; and 
what profit shall this birthright do to me! Oen. xxv. 32. 
I knock 'd and, bidden, entcr'il ; found her there 
At point to wove. Tennyson, Princess, 111. 
At (or on) the point of, in the act of ; very near to : as, 
vn the point <>i leaving ; at the point of death. 
Shah Alum had Invested Patna, and was on '/" point of 
proceeding to storm. Macaulay, Lord Cllve. 
Auricular point. See auricular, and cut under crani- 
ometry. Base point, in her. See def. 22 (n). Bone- 
point, a name given to some rich varieties of rose point- 
lace It is said because of its appearance as If richly 
sculptured in ivory or lione. See wme-lace. Breaking- 
point, in fivfineennff, mechanics, etc., the degree of straTn 
under which u structure or part will - i v way. Cardinal 
point, en One of the four point* of the horizon, due 
north, south, east, and west. (b) \naxtrol. See cardinal. (<) 
In optics, aixpoinUon the axis of a lens or system of lenses, 
including (1) two /<-<ri;*>i/i/, which are the foci for paral- 
lel rays; (2) two nodal points, so situated that an incident 
ray through one emerges in a parallel direction through the 
other; (8) two principal point* -those {Hiintft on the axis 
through which the so-called principal plane* pass: these 
planes are parallel to the axis, and so situated that the line 
joining the point* in which an incident ray meets the first 
and the corresponding emergent ray meet* the second is 
parallel to the axis ; under certain conditions the principal 
point* may coincide with the nodal {mint*. Conical, Con- 
jugate, consecutive, corresponding, etc , points. See 
the adjectives. - Critical point. Sec critical. Cut over 
point, in /racing- See <"', . Cut point, cut work or 
cut-ami drawn work, a phrase adapted from the French 
point coupr. Dead-point, iu week. See deatl-centrr. 
Decimal, diacritical, diagonal, double point. Seethe 
adjectives. English point. See KnglilK point-loos (a), 
under lace. Equinoctial points. Sec eiruinoctial.- 
Fixed point, in mech., a center around which any part 
moves. From point to point, from one particular to 
another. 
He can al devyse 
/Vo point to point, uat o word tvol he faille. 
Chaucer, Monk's Talc, 1. 472. 
Frontal points. Same as antiir. Genoa point, a kind 
of bobbin-made guipure, especially that which has a 
reseau instead of detached and irregular brides for it* 
ground. Beads and points, see head. - Imaginary 
point See imatn'nary. Indented in point See n- 
deitted. Index Of a point. See index. In good point* 
I''K. ' n bonpoinct: see cmbonpoint\, in good case or con- 
dition. See def. . In point (at) See at point. (6) Ap- 
plicable ; apposite ; appropriate ; exactly fitting the case. 
When history, and particularly the history of our own 
country, furnishes anything like a case in point, ... he 
will take advantage of It. Sheridan, The Critic, 11. 1. 
In point Of, a* regards ; with respect or regard to. 
If I transgress in point of manners, afford me 
Your best construction. 
B. Joiunn, Devil Is an Ass, ill 1. 
Providence had created the Inhabitant* of the peninsula 
of India under many disadvantages in point of climate. 
Bruce, Source of the Nik-, I. 371. 
In point of fact, as a matter of fact ; In fact. 
fn point of /act, he expired about half-past four that same 
afternoon. R. H. D. Barham, Memoir of R. H. Barhani 
((Ingoldshy Legends, I. 116). 
Irish point See Irith ' . Jugal point See cm niome- 
'//(.Limiting points, see limu. Lubber's point 
Same as lubber-line. Lunistltial point*. See lunutitial. 
Malar point see craniometry. Mental, metoptic, 
multiple, nasal, navel point. See the qualifying words. 
Needle-point, needle-made lace : a phrase especially 
applied to Alencon and Argentan laces, as being formerly 
the only Important French laces and the only fashionable 
ones not made with the bobbins. See under lace. Neu- 
tralization point See neutralization, 1. Neutral 
points, points on tin commutator of a dynamo upon which 
the collecting brushes rest : generally the extremities of a 
diameter at right angles to the resultant lines of force. 
Nodal points, see nodal. Objective, occipital, ori- 
ginal, parabolic point. See the adjectives. Painful 
points, points painful on pressure, occurring In many 
cases of neuralgia In the course of any affected nerve : 
described by Vallelx In 1841. Petit point Same as 
lent ttitch. - pinch points, see pinrh. - Point a, brides, 
(a) The ground of luce when made of brides or ban. I'D 
I jn-e having a bride ground, a* opposed to that having 
u reseau ground. Point applique\ See appliqu*. 
Point a reseau, luce which has a net ground worked 
together with the pattern, as Is the case with Mechlin. 
-Point at inflnity. See infinity, 3. Point d' Alen- 
con. Same as Alennn lace (which see. under hue). 
- Point d'Angleterre. See Kmjlith point lace (a\ un- 
der ln.-e. Point d'appuL See amnii. Point d'Ar- 
gentan. Same as Aryentan lace (which see, under lace). 
Point de gaze, a very fine needle-made ground for 
lace, utencrill) identified Mitti the finest Hrusseln lace 
when wholly made with the m-eJle.- Point de raccroc, 
4584 
a method of fastening together the different pieces of lace 
as In Brussels and Ilayeux lacea : It is not sewing, but a 
fresh row of meshes Imitating in part the ground of the 
lace. Point d'esprit, in lace-makinu : (a) Originally, a 
small oval figure occurring in various kinds of guipure, 
and usually consisting of three short lengths of cord or 
parchment laid bide by t>lde and covered with the thread : 
such ovals were arranged in various patterns, but espe- 
cially In rosettes, (o) A much smaller solid or mat sur- 
face, square or oblong, used to diversify the net ground of 
certain laces. Point de Valenciennes. Same a* \'u- 
lencicnne* lace (which see, under lace). Point de velin. 
Same as vellum point. Point diamond. See diamond. 
Point duchesse. Same a* ducheue lace (which see, un- 
der face). Point for point, In detail ; precisely ; exactly. 
This sergeaunt cam unto his lord ageyn, 
And of Grislldes wordes and hir chere 
He tolde him point for point. 
Chaucer, Clerk's Tale, 1. 521. 
Point impaled, in her. , a point divided vertically or pale- 
wise, the two part* of different tinctures Point of al- 
teration or duplication. In medieval musical notation, 
a dot placed after and properly above the first of two short 
note* in perfect rhythm as a sign that the second note 
after it is long. Point Of attack, that part of a defend- 
ed position which is chosen for the main assault or onset ; 
in siege operations, that part of the defenses which must 
be reduced in order to force the garrison to surrender. 
Up to that time I had felt by no means certain that 
Trump's landing might not be the j*ii/il of attack. 
U. S. Grant, Personal Memoirs, I. 336. 
Point of coincidence, see coincidence. Point of con- 
trary flexure, a point on a plane curve at which a tan- 
gent moving along t he curve ceases to turn in one direction 
and begins to turn in the opposite way. Point Of day, 
dawn ; daybreak. [Obsolete or poetical.] 
So shall I sey to alle the princes that the! lie redy at 
the jwjmte of day for to ride. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), ill. 686. 
Point of dispersion, in optics, that point train which the 
rays begin to diverge, commonly called the virtual focus. 
- Point of distance, see ditiance. Point of division 
or imperfection, in -titcdieral mugical notation, a dot 
placea between two short notes to indicate a rhythmic 
division like that marked by the modern bar. Point of 
election. See election. Point Of fall, in yvn. . the point 
first struck by the projectile. Tidbalf, Manual of Artil- 
lery. Point of fusion of metals, see /*!.- Point 
Of honor, (a) Bee honor. (b) In her., a point In the es- 
cutcheon immediately aliove the center: also called the 
heart. Point Of horse, in mining, the spot where a 
vein, as of ore, is dividcti by a mass of rt>ck into one or 
more branches. Point Of incidence, in optic*, that point 
on a surface upon wliiili a rnyof light falls. Point oi 
law, a s|'citlc legal principle or rule. The term is gen- 
erally used to indicate a discriminating application, or the 
{>recise effect on a given state of facts, of the appropriate 
egal principle or provision. Point of magnetic indif- 
ference. Sec mn./iicMic. Point Of order, in deliberative 
IKKlies, a question nmcd as to whether proceedings are in 
conformity u itli parliamentary law and with the special 
rules of the particular body itself. Point Of osculation. 
Sec tHtculatiim. Point Of perfection, in tnfd iem/ muirical 
notation, a dot placed after a long note in triple or per- 
fect rhythm to prevent It* being made duple or Imperfect 
by position. Point of reflection, in optia, the point 
from which a ray is reflected. Point Of refraction, in 
optic*, that point In the refracting surface where the re- 
fraction takes place. Point of regard, the point at 
which the eye is directly looking. It* image falls in the 
middle of the macula lutca of the retina. Point Of sight. 
Hume as point of cixion. 
Therefore, as In pctsjicctlvc, so in train dy, there must 
be a point of siyht in which all the lines terminate, other- 
wise the eye wanders, and the work is false. 
Dryden, Grounds of Criticism In Tragedy. 
Point Of View, a position from which one looks, or from 
which a picture is supposed to be taken ; hence, the state of 
mind, or predisposition, which consciously or unconscious- 
ly modifies the consideration of any subject Point of 
vision, the position from which anything Is observed, or is 
represented as lieing observed ; the position of the eye of 
the observer. Also called point of right, point of view, cen- 
ter of projection, center of rixitm, etc. Point Plat, In lace- 
making : (a) Flowers or sprigs of bobbin-work, as opposed 
to needle-point work. See platf, a., 2. (fc) Application- 
lace in which such pillow-made flowers are applied to a 
net ground. See apiilicaHon-liice and Bruxteli lace (both 
under lace). Points and Pins, an old game similar to 
skittles Points of support, in inch., those point* or 
surfaces on the plan of the piers, walls, columns, etc., upon 
which an edifice rests, or in which the various pressures 
are collected and met Points Of the compass. See 
compaa, ., 7. Point- to- point, in a straight Hue ; across 
country. 
To test a good hunter there Is nothing like a four-mile 
point-to-point steeplechase. Edinburgh Ken., CLXVI. 409. 
Poristlc points. See porutic. Power of points, In 
elect., the effect of fine points in promoting electrical dis- 
charge. The density (electrical) at any point of a charged 
body Is Inversely as the radius of curvature, and Is, there- 
fore, relatively great at the extremity of a fine point When 
It reaches a certain limit, the electricity escapes easily, 
and chained bodies may thus be silently discharged. 
Principal polnta, In optia. of a lens or a combination 
of lenses, the two point* on the optical axis which posses* 
the property (among others) that the line drawn from the 
first principal point to any point In the object Is parallel 
to the line drawn from the second principal point to the 
corresponding point In the Image. The angle subtended 
by the object at the first principal point, therefore, equals 
that subtended by the image at the second, (ianss first 
discovered these point*, and Introduced the term Ilaupt- 
pvnkt, of which principal point is the translation. Rose- 
et, In lacc-makiny, the peculiar style Identified with 
tlan necdle-]K>int lace of the early part of the seven- 
tt-rnth century. The pattern Is rather large, with beau- 
tifully designed conventional flowers, and Is especially dis 
tinguliihetlby the decided rdli ( xliicb in given to It, so that 
It is often said to resemble carved i\i\. The pattern i 
point 
so distributed that there Is but little space for the ground 
to occupy, and this ground Is composed of large brides or 
ban decorated with plcots. Spanish point, galloons 
and passement* of sflk, silk and gold, silver, and the like, 
which were In demand during the latter part of the seven- 
tccnth and In the eighteenth century. Much of It was made 
In the Spanish Netherlands, and much also In Genoa, 
Spinal point See craniometry. Subnasal, supra- 
auricular, supraclavicular, etc., point See the ad- 
jectives, and cut under eraniomrtrj/. SupranaBal point. 
Same at \ophruon Supraorbital point Sameasoj**. 
ryon, The Five Articles and the Five Points, see 
article. to back a point, in iportimj, to come to a point 
on observing that action in another dog : said of pointers 
and setters. TO be at a point >, to be determined or re- 
solved. 
Beat a point with yourselves, as the disciples of Christ 
which had forsaken themselves, to follow not your will 
but God's will. 
./. Bradford, Letter* (Parker Hoc., 1863), II. 120. 
To blow heads and points. See head. To cast a 
point of traverse. See awfi. To come to pointst, 
to fight with swords. 
They would have come U> painti Immediately, had not 
the gentlemen interposed. 
Smollett, Sir L. Creaves, ill. (Daviet.) 
To control the point See control. To give points to. 
(a) To give odds to ; have the advantage of. 
Any average Eton boy could give pointjt to his Holiness 
In the matter of Lathi verses. The American, 1883, VI. 333. 
(6) To give a valuable or advantageous hint, Indication, or 
piece of information to : as, he can yioe us pointi on that 
subject. (Slang. ] To make a point (a) To rise in the 
air with a peculiar motion over the spot where quarry is 
concealed : said of a hawk, (b) To make a particular de- 
sired impression ; "score."- To make a point of, to Iw 
resolved to (do something) and do it accordingly ; insist 
upon : as, to make a point of rising early. To polntt, in 
every detail ; completely. 
A falthlesse Sarazin, all aiinde to point. 
Spentcr, . Q., I. II. 12. 
Hast thou, spirit 
Perform 'd to point the tempest that 1 bade thee? 
Shalt., Tempest, I. 2. 194. 
TO stand upon points, to be punctilious ; be overnlce or 
over-scrupulous. 
This fellow doth not flu ml upon point*. 
Shall., M. N. D., v. 1. 118. 
To Strain a point, to exceed the reasonable limit ; make 
xn exception or conceasloti, as of a rule In business, or a 
I M i. ii ion In an argument. Tressed point " '" "' made of 
human hair. Trltactic, quadritactic, qulnquetactlc, 
sextactlc, etc., point, a point where two plane curves 
have three, four, nve, six. etc., consecutive point* in com- 
mon. Vellum point, lace worked on a pattern drawn 
on parchment, to correspond with which the main lines 
of the threads are laid ; hence, needle-point lace of almost 
any sort. Venice point. Same as roee-^oint : indicating 
both the lace itself and the method of working It Vowel 
points, in the Hebrew and other Eastern alphabets, cer- 
tain marks placed above or below the consonant*, or at- 
tached to them, as In the Ethioplc, representing the vocal 
sounds or vowels which precede or follow the consonant 
sounds. 
II. a. Made with the needle: said of lace. 
Oumimre needle-point. 
The principal point (i. e., strictly, needle-made) laces are 
the ancient laces of Italy, Spain, and Portugal, and the 
more modern lace of France, called point d'Alencon. 
Jntltisti-ial ArU (S. K. Handbook), p. 261. 
point 1 (point), v. [< ME. pointen, poynten, < 
OF. (audF.) pointer, poynter, also ]wintier = Pi. 
pvtichar = 8p. jntntar, also puntuar = Pg. pon- 
tuar = It. puntare, point, = D. puiiten, point, 
sharpen, punteri-n, stipple, point, dot, = MLG. 
flatten, appoint, settle, fix, ssQ.pnttleten, punk- 
ten (also pwMieren,imnctieren = Sw. punkteru 
= T)&n.punktere, < P.), point, punctuate, stip- 
ple, dot, < ML. punctare, also puncttture, prick, 
punch, point, mark, < L. jninctum, neut., jninc- 
tus, m., a point : 8eepoi'nM,i.] I, tranti. If. To 
prick with a pointed instrument ; pierce. 
Aftlrward they prile and poynten 
The folk right to the bare boon. 
Horn, of the Kote, \. 1068. 
2. To supply or adorn with points. See puiiit, 
n., 19. 
And pointed on the shoulders for the nonce, 
As new come from the Belgian garrisons. 
Up. Ball, Satires. 
3. To mark with characters for the purpose of 
separating the members of a sentence and in- 
dicating the pauses; punctuate: as, to point a 
written composition. 4. To direct toward au 
object; aim: as, to point a gun; to point the 
finger of scorn at one. 
The girl recognized her own portrait without tin- slight- 
est embarrassment, and mcrelv pointed her pencil at her 
m:i't, i . B. W. freilon, Year In Eden, vill. 
5. To direct the observation or attention of. 
Whosoever should be guided through bis battles by 
Mini-Mil, :tnd i:intrtt to every scene of them, Mould see 
nothing but subjects of surprise. /'"/" 
6. To indicate; show; make niunift-xt : ofteu 
with nut. 
Hut o value judgement, and conditions value, 
The Hhich tin piiromT i,i'r unto the free! 
Spenter,f. ., IV. xll. 11. 
