point (subs.) Copy link Outline I. Sharp end1. ăcūmen, ĭnis, n.2. of a spear, etc. cuspis, ĭdis, f.3. of a sword or cutting instrument, mūcro, ōnis, m.II. Fig., the sting or telling feature of an epigram, etc.III. MathematicalIV. A particular1. summa2. căput, ĭtis, n.3. cardo, ĭnis, m.V. Matter of disputeVI. Exact placeVII. PositionVIII. DegreeIX. Eve, verge; in phr. on the p. of ...X. A small character, a dot or accent1. ăpex, ĭcis, m.2. distinctio • point (subs.): I. Sharp end: 1. ăcūmen, ĭnis, n.: p. of a stilus, a. stili, Cic. de Or. 1, 33, 151: of an arrow, Ov. M. 8, 353: Lucr. 2. of a spear, etc. cuspis, ĭdis, f.: Virg. Aen. 5, 208: Ov.: v. spike. 3. of a sword or cutting instrument, mūcro, ōnis, m.: swords without p.s, sine m. gladii, Liv. 22, 46, med.: tapering to the p. (of a plough-share), in mucronem fastigiatus, Plin. 18, 18, 48: the p. of a sickle, falcis m., Col. 4, 25: poet. by meton. = sword: Virg. pass. (N.B.--Aculeus in this sense is doubtful: in Liv. 38, 21, aculeus sagittae aut glandis, the sense is sting, agony.) Phr.: to use the p. of the sword in fighting, punctim (opp. caesim, with the edge) ferire, Veg. Mil. 1, 12; punctim petere hostem, Liv. 22, 46, med. II. Fig., the sting or telling feature of an epigram, etc.: ăcūleus (a sting): an epigram requires to have a p. to it, *epigramma quasi aculeos quosdam in se habere oportet: cf. Cic. Br. 9, extr.: his own epigrams have often little p., ipse hebetes interdum figit aculeos, Morhof, i. p. 1060: having p., salsus (v. witty): without p., frigidus, insulsus (v. pointless). III. Mathematical: punctum: Cic. Ac. 2, 36, 116. IV. A particular: esp. in phr., the main p.: 1. summa: just the main p.s, ipsae summae rerum [atque sententiae), Cic. Leg. 2, 7, 18: Liv. Join: summa [judicii] causaque tota, i. e. the real p. at issue: Cic. Quint. 9, 32. 2. căput, ĭtis, n.: the main p. of a letter, c. literarum, Cic. Ph. 2, 31, 77: the leading p.s of a subject, capita rerum, id. Br. 44, 164. 3. cardo, ĭnis, m.: v. gist. Phr.: to touch on the main p.s of a thing, aliquid summatim attingere, Quint. 10, 1, 44. Cic.: in every p., omni ex parte, Cic. Am. 21, 79: let us return to the p. we digressed from, eo unde huc digressi sumus revertamur, Cic. N. D. 2, 23, fin.: v. particular (subs.). V. Matter of dispute: quaestio: v. question. The p. in dispute is ..., quaeritur ..., Cic. de Or. 2, 24, extr. (agitur = the matter is at stake). VI. Exact place: Phr.: at this very p., hoc ipso in loco: at the very same p. and time, eodem loci vestigio et temporis, Cic. in Pis. 9, 21 (v. moment): at this p. the enemy had the advantage, *ex hac parte (aciei) hostes superiores erant. VII. Position: esp. in such phrr. as, to this point: to this point have I brought matters, huc rem deduxi, Cic. Cat. 2, 2, 4: have matters reached such a p. as this? huccine omnia reciderunt? id. Verr. 5, 63, 163. So eo, to such a p. or pass: v. pass, subs. VIII. Degree: in such phrr. as to such a p.: v. pitch. subs. IX. Eve, verge; in phr. on the p. of ...: expr. by in eo est (impers.): when he was on the p. of being arrested, quum in eo esset ut comprehenderetur, Nep. Paus. 5: when the soldiers were on the p. of scaling the walls, quum in eo esset ut in muros evaderet miles, Liv. 2, 71. A like sense may be expr. by, haud multum abfuit, nihil propius factum (implying that something was very near taking place): v. narrow, adj. (fin.): on the p. of death, moribundus: Cic. Sext. 39, 85 (moriens, on one's death-bed: cf. Cic. Sen. 22, init.; moribundus, in the very article of death). X. A small character, a dot or accent: 1. ăpex, ĭcis, m.: Quint. 1, 7, 2 (mark of quantity): Lexx. s. v. κεραία. 2. distinctio: v. stop. The vowel p.s (Hebrew), *puncta vocalia, Gr. (N.B.--For point of view, v. view.)