POINT


Meaning of POINT in English

I. noun

COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES

a crucial point

This was a crucial point in our relationship.

a departure point (= the place where you leave from )

Luxor is one departure point for boat trips down the Nile.

a key issue/question/point

The environment became a key issue during the election.

a matter/point/question of honour (= something you feel you must do because of your moral beliefs )

To my mum, paying bills on time is a point of honour.

a one-shot/two-goal/three point etc lead (= a lead of a specific amount )

Goals by Keane and Lennon gave Tottenham a two-goal lead.

a percentage point (= one percent )

The party increased its share of the vote by almost 4 percentage points.

a point of disagreement (= a particular thing that people disagree about )

A point of disagreement between the two parties concerns the future of nuclear power.

a pointed chin

She had a narrow face and a pointed chin.

access point

action point

an entry point (= a place where people can enter a country )

The 2,000 mile border is the main entry point into the country for illegal aliens.

an observation post/point (= a place from where you can observe something )

The peak of the mountain was a natural location for an observation post.

argued the point (= discussed it )

They argued the point for hours without reaching a conclusion.

assembly point (= a place where people go in a particular situation )

an assembly point

boiling point

Relations between the two countries have almost reached boiling point .

brownie points

I’m not doing it just to get brownie points.

bullet point

can’t see the point of (= I do not understand the reason for )

I can’t see the point of spending so much money on a car.

cardinal point

crisis point (= the point at which a problem becomes a crisis )

Events were now reaching crisis point.

cut-off date/point/score etc (= the date etc when you stop doing something )

The cut-off date for registration is July 2.

debatable point

a debatable point

decimal point

Do you see the point (= do you understand what I’m trying to say )

Do you see the point I’m making ?

finer points

We stayed up discussing the finer points of Marxist theory.

focal point

The pool is the focal point of the hotel.

freezing point

Alcohol has a lower freezing point than water.

from a legal point of view

It's a fascinating case, from a legal point of view.

from a political point of view

From the political point of view, it was important that the country showed it was adhering to the treaty.

from a practical point of view

Saving energy in your home is fairly easy from a practical point of view.

from a scientific/technical point of view

This book was the first to study language from a scientific point of view.

from a security point of view

The system is seriously flawed from a security point of view.

from an economic/financial/business point of view

From a financial point of view, the concert was a disaster.

game point

get straight to the point

I think I should get straight to the point .

grade point average

I take your point/point taken (= used to say that you accept someone’s opinion )

I take your point/point taken (= used to say that you accept someone’s opinion )

illustrate...point

Let me give an example to illustrate the point .

jumping-off point

lead by ten points/two goals etc

Nadal was leading by two sets.

lead to/point to a conclusion (= make you decide that something is true )

All the data led to only one conclusion.

lose (sth) by 1 goal/10 votes/20 points etc

The government lost by one vote.

The Communist candidate lost by a whisker a very small amount .

low point

The low point in my life was when I was hit by a drunk driver.

match point

melting point

minus points

‘Any minus points ?’ ‘Well, the engine is rather noisy.’

nought point one/two/three etc (= 0.1, 0.2 etc )

penalty point

pick-up point

The price includes travel from your local pick-up point in the UK to your hotel in Paris.

plus points

Another of the Beach Club’s plus points is that it’s right in the middle of town.

point a camera at sb/sth

A group of Japanese tourists were pointing their cameras at the cathedral.

point man

the administration’s point man on health care

point of order

One MP raised an objection on a point of order.

point of reference

point of sale

Under the new law, cigarette advertising will only be allowed at the point of sale.

point the finger of blame at sb (= say that someone is responsible for something bad )

I couldn’t believe it when they started pointing the finger of blame at me.

point

I think that's a valid point.

pointing...gun

Jake was pointing a gun at the door.

pointy/pointed

The dog has short pointy ears.

power point

press...point

He decided it was time to press his point home.

pressure point

a pressure point for racial tension

prove your point

To prove her point, Dr Hurdal showed her audience a scan of a patient's brain.

put a point to sb

You should put that point to the Chancellor.

rallying point

a rallying point for the struggle against apartheid

reach a point/stage

I’ve reached the point in my life where I need a new challenge.

reached boiling point

Relations between the two countries have almost reached boiling point .

reached saturation point

The number of summer tourists in the area has reached saturation point .

rightly pointed out

As you so rightly pointed out , things are getting worse.

saturation point

The number of summer tourists in the area has reached saturation point .

sb's nerves are stretched (to breaking point) (= they feel very nervous or worried )

Her nerves were stretched almost to breaking point as she waited.

score a goal/point/run etc

He has scored 12 goals so far this season.

selling point

Small classes are a selling point for private schools.

signposts pointing

As yet, there are few signposts pointing to success.

source/area/point of contention

The issue of hunting is a source of contention.

starting point

The article provides a starting point for discussion.

sticking point

North Korea’s refusal had long been a sticking point.

stray from the point

This meeting is beginning to stray from the point .

stress a point

This point needs to be stressed.

stretch a point (= allow a rule to be broken )

We’ll stretch a point and let the baby travel free this time.

talking point

(the) breakeven point/level

The firm should reach breakeven point after one year.

the essential point

The essential point is that all children should have an equal opportunity to study.

the halfway stage/mark/point

They’ve just reached the halfway stage of the project.

the points of the compass/compass points (= the marks that show you north, south, east etc )

She was teaching the children the points of the compass.

the points of the compass/compass points (= the marks that show you north, south, east etc )

She was teaching the children the points of the compass.

tipping point

to the point of obsession (= used to say that something has stopped being a normal interest and become an extreme one )

She was protective of her children, to the point of obsession.

turning point

Meeting her was the turning point in my life.

two goals down/three points down etc

Swindon were six points down at one stage.

two goals up/three points up etc

United were a goal up at half time.

vanishing point

vantage point

From my vantage point on the hill, I could see the whole procession.

weak points (= your faults or the things you do not do well )

Be honest about your weak points .

weak points

There are some weak points in her argument.

win by 10 points/ten metres etc

We won by 23 points.

COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS

■ ADJECTIVE

fine

They're just the people to spot the finer points of ornithology, are they?

The Puritans had no more interest in astronomy or physics than in the fine points of Catholic theology.

Sources say most things work but hundreds of fine points have to be checked.

Perhaps then they can take in the fine points the lessons of our own lives offer.

Sometimes they were right, news crews rarely had the time or the inclination to pursue the finer points .

However, such fine points of genealogical accuracy are never what matter to the family members who tell such stories.

His elucidation of the finer points of betting is also excellent.

At least he would understand the fine points of its design.

focal

The effect of reinstatement would be dramatic, bringing back numerous fine buildings as focal points in the street scene.

Eight lesbians who gather at a local bar are the focal point of this comedy, directed by Marita Giovani.

The municipal gallery, though, likely will become the focal point for local artists from now on.

A focal point is the inviting, good-sized pool where you can cool off from the heat of the sun.

Neither was society the focal point of the Orphic mysteries.

It is the focal point of a permanent campaign to give independence through personal transport to as many people as possible.

high

That is just the intensification, the high point of an ongoing process.

Despite this tragedy, she graduated with the second highest grade point average in her high school.

Continued from page 6 Olympia is also the high point for twenty of our leading young riders.

His engagement to Nora Cushing had been the high point of her life.

Collectively, they were worth over £2.8 billion at their high point .

When your body temperature reaches its highest point , your inner clock reads 12: 00 biological time.

The number fell from the high point of 516 in 1985 to 409 in 1986.

Even if the infectivity is as high as point nine nine, any pocket of infection will die out quite fast.

important

The prime minister: My hon. Friend has put his finger on an important point .

In the early stages, the baby's mouth is an important point of contact with the world.

The important point is to adopt a system and then stick to it, applying it consistently.

An important point is that these large-scale convection cells fit in with the dimensions of plates.

The important point to note as you follow my progress is just how easy it is and how flexible.

But the important point about this manoeuvring is how essentially low-key it was.

The reality was that provincial reformers generally took the ideological initiative away from London on this important point .

key

Combinations of wool and nylon are usual, with loop-stitching at key points .

One solution is for Dorman Oil to summarize key points in employee training sessions that incorporate multimedia and other technologies.

The main key points are the patient's head, shoulder girdle, spine and pelvis.

And she found herself at key points in her relationship yelling at her financially ambitious partner because they had such different aspirations.

What are the key points in the extract?

Even within areas of consensus, there are key points of roiling partisan controversy.

Are you a fast reader with the ability to retain the key points ?

The key point of contention is how much change is prudent in the military, and how rapid that change should be.

low

And the lowest of low points was the use of five captains in seven Tests in 1988-89.

From that low point , Mitterrand started his long climb to power.

In particular, the high and low points on the line should be noted and investigated for possible sighting markers.

From this low point , things got worse.

In large organizations, the number of roadblocks and low points can seem infinite, particularly when something new is being tried.

The index is now at its lowest point since June, when it was a negative 17. 4.

The market is likely to continue drifting down and may reach a low point on Friday.

The lowest point came a year ago, when the staff graduated and the magazine disappeared.

main

The main points for debate could then be circulated to panel members and the course team before the event.

Reports and proposals of 2-5 pages: List the main points for the entire document.

However, the main point of interest is the unintended learning outcomes of such questions as these.

The main point is that we can do nothing to change matters.

The main point of contention now is not whether, but how long a scaled-down force should remain.

Perhaps such arguments are beside the main point , which is to cover the natural monopoly case.

Although we can look at expenditure patterns in a number of different ways three main points are evident.

strong

And as was evident early on in the match, she relied on her strong points to get into a rhythm.

One additional device is a spectrometer to study the infrared spectra of strong point sources.

Very generous pupil - teacher ratios is a feature that prep schools use as a strong selling point to parents.

For one thing, woodwork was not his strong point .

Nearly every organization requires accounts or finance clerks, so if mathematics is your strong point it is something to think about.

A short summary of what you regard as your strong points makes an excellent final paragraph to distinguish you from other candidates.

Animation Shop isn't this package's strong point and Photoshop's ImageReady application is a whole lot more powerful.

On balance, however, the predator/prey theory of dinosaur endothermy does seem to be one of Bakker's stronger points .

turning

It proved a turning point in the war leading to Lincoln emancipation proclamation liberating the slaves.

At every turning point they put a greater distance between each other.

These turning points apart, he was also an addictive non-political speaker.

Crises often mark turning points in overall patterns of policy development, because the consequences of alternative decisions can be momentous.

For Brailsford, who had a tendency to overstate his case, this marked a decisive turning point in world history.

As with many other issues, the 1940s marked a turning point in food production.

The battle was a turning point in Northumbrian fortunes.

whole

The whole point of the legal process is to get a decisive determination which will end the dispute in question.

The round slices were much easier to use in a toaster, which was the whole point of the exercise.

Now the whole point of this raid is speed.

His real name is Markham-or, as Blue sounds it out to himself, mark him-and that is the whole point .

The whole point of radio communications is the very versatility and freedom associated with its use.

I mean, that was, in a way, the whole point .

The whole point about chaos is that it roars down on you when you least expect it, like a motorcycle messenger.

As if the whole point of the Salomon system were simply to see who wilted under the pressure and who did not.

■ NOUN

basis

The yield on the five-year 5. 875 percent note rose 7 basis points to 4. 64 percent.

The yield on the two-year gilt fell 2 basis points to 6. 30 percent.

The notes, which are noncallable for one year, were priced to yield 69 basis points above comparable Treasurys.

The bonds will be priced to yield 75 basis points above the 7 percent gilt due 2001.

The bonds, which are noncallable for three months, were priced at a spread of 59 basis points above Treasurys.

percentage

Finally, in the election itself Reagan led Carter by ten percentage points .

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus five percentage points .

Sept. 14: The Bundesbank cuts the Lombard rate by 0.25 percentage points and the discount rate by 0.5 percentage points.

Polls show his lead over Dole ranging from 5 to 20 percentage points .

In relation to the rest of the country, however, the share of the top six cities fell by 2.5 percentage points .

In January, polls showed Dole was leading his nearest rival by 23 percentage points .

Polls show Peres leading by about 5 percentage points .

power

Carrying spare batteries could be a cheaper option to fast charging and all chargers rely on a power point anyway.

Radiator. Power point . access to insulated roof space with light.

But it is not to this distinction that the theory of the separation of powers points .

Copper had to then come out of his box to be near to a power point .

Secondary double glazed windows with lovely open outlook over the golf course. power points .

Tiled feature fireplace. Power points .

Vinyl clad floor. Power points .

Beware of anything that looks like a do-it-yourself job - crooked power points , for example.

reference

It is equally correct and sometimes more useful to view demand from the reference point of quantity.

This was done by using the pylorus and the anatomical antrum-corpus boundary as reference points .

I concentrated on the reference points and on keeping one or two rotor diameters away from the other ship.

But he remained a constant reference point among those concerned about the course the nation was taking.

They establish reference points and reference lines.

We are left with a play on signs which has no ultimate reference point other than the commodity.

This team has a reference point .

starting

The starting point is those aims which depend heavily on the particular contribution of DHAs.

This requires a re-examination of such chairs as please my eye and try to come with a starting point .

The truth was somewhere at the end of the line and the first facts were a kind of starting point .

For obvious reasons she has chosen Stamford Hill as her starting point .

Adorno offers one starting point for such a history.

It was a fairly preposterous starting point , but there was nothing else to go on.

That is the starting point for existentialism.

The analogy has its limitations, but is a valuable starting point .

vantage

She took refuge behind an angel's wings and, from this vantage point , spied upon her family.

And I know, from the sobering vantage point of midlife, that she will never recover.

Skarsnik, watching from his vantage point on the mountain slopes, saw his army waver.

What from the harbor looks solemn takes on a carnivalesque air when seen from a closer vantage point .

Our vantage point provided a proper perspective of the immense scale of this Himalayan giant.

He painted the gorge; he painted the rapids; he painted the Whirlpool from every vantage point .

From my second-floor vantage point I could see my classmates as they tumbled out into the quad playing catch with my shoes.

From your current vantage point , you are well positioned to see how alcohol can get at these pain fibers.

■ VERB

average

Last year, Harris averaged 16 points in 31 starts after Jackson was lost for the season.

In 1995-96, he averaged seven points over 51 games, missing 23 games with a sprained ankle.

Davis averaged 14. 2 points and 9. 5 rebounds as a senior and made 55 percent of his shots.

Last year, he averaged 14. 2 points in March and 9. 4 the rest of the year.

The strongest choice appeared to be Ceballos, averaging 23. 4 points and 7. 3 rebounds per game.

He has played in only 53 games this season and is averaging 9. 8 points and 3. 2 rebounds.

The former Temple star averaged 14 points and nearly 4 rebounds a game while leading the club with 2. 5 steals.

He was averaging 6. 4 points per game and his 30 of 83 3-pointers ranked second on the team.

close

Sydney: Continued activity in the banking sector helped the All Ordinaries index to close 7.4 points higher at 1,743.4.

The benchmark 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average closed the session 201.88 points down, or 1.51 percent, at 12,681.66.

But dealers' nerves soon failed and the index fell back to close 9.5 points lower at 2719.7.

The 225-share Nikkei index, meanwhile, continued its recent slide, closing down 122 points at 17, 358. 16.

The Footsie closed just 2.3 points higher at 2,840.0.

It closed 30.5 points lower at 2,247.0.

It closed 30.5 points down at 2,281.6, its lowest level for ten weeks.

Finally, in transition to the next chapter, we close with an awkward point about truth.

drop

One of the fastest ways to list is simply to drop your points on the page, numbering as you go.

After 10 days and three predictable victories they were promoted, thanks to Woking dropping a point .

For every day I stayed in Rochester, my intelligence quotient dropped another ten points .

The Conservatives are down one point to 34 %, and the Liberal Democrats have dropped three points to 13 %.

If the trough is 25 percent below that, the Dow will drop 1, 721 points .

The party's share of vote was squeezed, dropping five points from 1987 to 18 percent.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 67. 55 points to 5130. 13 yesterday.

illustrate

Andy Marsh's Zambezi article illustrates this point well.

Both Kemp and Gore referred to real life people to illustrate their points .

Significantly, your photograph alongside Coun Williams' letter, illustrates this point more eloquently than words.

To illustrate the point , I call it the Aeroflot Syndrome.

A few examples will suffice to illustrate the point .

The story may have been to illustrate her point .

The development of the gut illustrates the point .

The diagram below illustrates this point .

make

A recent report by borough councillor and community health council chairwoman Eleanor Young made the point clearly.

We have referred to Piaget to make or reinforce a point about teaching.

It is perhaps important to redress the rather gloomy tone which has crept into this section, by making two points .

Today the manager of personnel makes a point of sitting next to his old friend on the daily commuter train.

It could make that the central point of its election manifesto if it is so profoundly excited by it.

He cited their new-found authority to do their own work scheduling to make his point .

Mr. Redwood My hon. Friend makes his point extremely well.

She said she always made a point to stay above the fray and concentrate on her work.

miss

Alas, the critics were liable to miss the point or deliberately find fault with it.

We had missed the release point because of the cloud and would have to try again.

Both these reactions miss the point .

And so on and so on, the critiques having merit but missing the point .

Yet to focus on the facts is to miss the point .

The sad fact is that we are amazingly persistent at missing the point .

This, however, rather missed the point , since even cheap fares serve little purpose if there are no trains.

But they were missing the entire point .

prove

It proved a turning point in the war leading to Lincoln emancipation proclamation liberating the slaves.

So I think I proved my point .

He does not try to prove points one way or the other, but he does ask meaningful and relevant questions.

If this is the case, you should be prepared to prove your point and present a cost-effective alternative.

A mixture of consultation and internal management control might well prove a better starting point .

We know of no surveys that either prove or disprove this point .

The event was to prove the turning point of the battle.

The many examples of that provided in these pages help to prove the point .

reach

We may reach a point where the public costs of city life have to be greater than the private.

Few sites that I visited had reached a point where they clearly would survive if these extra start-up funds disappeared.

Can they reach point B, thereby preserving their privileged position as insiders?

Many organizations may never reach this point , and certainly no date can be fixed in its regard.

Now 25, Jane does not pretend to have reached the point where she is back enjoying her golf.

This convinced him he had to reach the point where there was no turning back.

But before we reached that point , we might have other problems.

Significant excretion of solute-free water can not occur unless significant amounts of solute and water reach this point .

score

He scored just 10 points but had only two assists, being ineffective as a shooter and playmaker.

Duncan fouled out with 1: 51 left after scoring eight points and grabbing 13 rebounds.

The Lakers shot 53 percent, scored 29 points off turnovers and took an embarrassingly easy 124-107 decision.

Some pundits argued that he was simply trying to score points against the outgoing government.

At halftime, B has scored thirteen points and is 100 per-cent from the floor.

He had scored four points until he made successive three-point baskets late in the game.

Payton scored six straight points as Seattle overcame a 99-93 deficit.

start

Training from starting points which are different towards an end which is uniform is not a unique aspect of voluntary partnership.

The paradox was that Ryan's starting point was no different from that of coaches in the prosperous days of the Seventies.

These recipes are simply a starting point and provide the fundamentals.

So the pattern will start at the right point cam with stitch number 18 of the pattern.

Mason, focused on convincing potential business users to consider Explorer as a starting point for connecting to the Internet.

Should I pay for the starting point ?

A monistic starting point for the cosmos requires an explanation to account for the variety and multiplicity in the cosmos.

turn

Supreme Court, was a turning point for Mrs Graham and the newspaper.

The question is whether it is a turning point and the down-slide of Peres.

It was to be something of a turning point .

It was a historic turning point .

The year 1949 was his turning point .

And both became the turning points of the games.

Denis Healey's acceptance of International Monetary Fund-imposed cuts in public expenditure in 1976 was the turning point .

Still turning this last point over in his mind, Blue decides to buy the book.

PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

(that's a) good idea/point/question

a moot point/question

It's a moot point whether this is censorship.

It is a moot point whether hierarchies exist outside our own thought processes.

Quite how long Lord Young was proposing to delay publication is a moot point.

This, of course, is a moot point.

When you go to a place called Texas Bone, deciding what to order becomes a moot point.

Whether the law should be this is a moot point.

Whether they have appeared as part of the C. and A.G.'s audit is a moot point.

Whether this input has made a significant impact on the pattern of activity is a moot point.

a pointed question/look/remark

As he left the office he locked it behind him, with a pointed look at Bob.

be beside the point

It's unrealistic, but that's beside the point - it's just good entertainment.

But the pedigree of this idea is beside the point.

But to criticize Mr Hall's production as an exercise in fuddy-duddy Shakespeare is beside the point.

He may manufacture these life units as required and he may simply have a given supply: that is beside the point.

She had come to no harm, but that was beside the point.

This semantic distinction is beside the point; the special admissions program is undeniably a classification based on race and ethnic back-ground.

What the outcome of seeing him might be is beside the point.

be the trigger (point) (for sth)

All we had to experience was the trigger and off we went into a state of fear.

And the loss of the ally may be the trigger which will start chain fission.

Could either or both factors be the trigger ?

I had provided the direction in my lecture, and Our discussion was the trigger .

That was the trigger that started the weeping.

The new stand was the trigger for the layout.

Your saying the work is urgent is the trigger , the result is lateness.

belabour the point

There is no need to belabour the point here.

concede a goal/point/penalty

Barthez escaped with a yellow card despite clearly kicking Ian Harte to concede a penalty.

But as Saracens consistently conceded penalties, Humphreys accepted the points on offer.

Chiddingfold should have taken the lead after five minutes when Rob Madgwick conceded a penalty for a trip.

Hitchcock has yet to concede a goal since stepping in for Dave Beasant.

Liverpool can not afford to concede a goal tonight-and James has yet to keep a clean sheet.

drop a point

After 10 days and three predictable victories they were promoted, thanks to Woking dropping a point.

But if they drop points, Leicester City or Derby County could triumph in a nail-biting finish.

get/score/earn Brownie points

get/win/score brownie points

high point

As the pedal is pressed downward from its highest point, it also moves forward.

At the top of the theater steps, the highest point, all four forms appear.

Christmas and New Year have long been the high point for visitor and Madeiran alike.

His engagement to Nora Cushing had been the high point of her life.

Political repression and racial discrimination were at a high point.

That is just the intensification, the high point of an ongoing process.

They were at the highest point for twenty li about.

We are now reaching the high point of the truly happy life.

keep to the point/subject etc

Come straight to the point and keep to the point are the golden rules of letter writing.

De Quincey was no master of keeping to the point.

Nothing is more irritating than people who do not keep to the point and talk for too long.

labour the point

I understand what you're saying -- there's no need to labour the point.

Enough has been said, and there is no need to labour the point.

United were too liberal with their marking and Lee Clark laboured the point. 7 minutes later, they took overall control.

miss the point

He's so caught up in the rules that he's missing the point of the game, which is just to have fun.

I soon realised that he had completely missed the point.

You're both missing the point, which is to get more people to use public transportation.

Alas, the critics were liable to miss the point or deliberately find fault with it.

As usual, the Treasury misses the point entirely.

Both these reactions miss the point.

But that completely misses the point about the way the academic mind works.

It's always easier for some one else to see where you've missed the point.

It should be obvious, however, that he is here simply missing the point of theism.

More importantly, it misses the point.

She paused at the door so I would not miss the point.

not to put too fine a point on it

Everyone there - not to put too fine a point on it - was crazy.

The dishes we tried tasted, not to put too fine a point on it, like gasoline.

point of contact

It's difficult to find a point of contact between theory and practice.

The new service center will serve as the single point of contact for general customer inquiries.

I have spoken of the point of contact but with the proper grip it will be much easier.

If you bought mail order, then the first point of contact is the software house or importer concerned.

In the early stages, the baby's mouth is an important point of contact with the world.

It also reduced friction at the point of contact .

The parties are no longer the chief point of contact between the electorate and the politicians.

These are the solid points of contact that they keep with the rock, which enable them to move safely.

This chapter explores the points of contact between the theory of social representations and the rhetorical approach.

Your family doctor is always your first point of contact .

prove a point

I'm not going to run the marathon just to prove a point. I know I could do it if I wanted to.

As others may have different theories a genuine desire to prove a point of view leads to some lively debate.

But the Razor wanted to prove a point and demanded a return.

He does not try to prove points one way or the other, but he does ask meaningful and relevant questions.

Is Wilko trying to prove a point or does he just want rid of Rocky???

That proves a point, doesn't it?

That he didn't seemed to prove a point.

They rose to the bait and decided they needed to prove a point, putting together their nine-piece Bootsy Collins-featuring live band.

To prove a point I smashed a piece open and applied the magnets.

push the point

Even she could not push the point any farther.

If the customer pushes the point, he fights back.

She decided not to push the point any further, could see he had switched off.

reference point

Fitzgerald's case will be the reference point for lawyers in tomorrow's trial.

The time he spent in prison serves as a point of reference for Bowden - the lessons are worth remembering.

Align to line up typeset or other graphic material as specified, using a base or vertical line as the reference point.

But he remained a constant reference point among those concerned about the course the nation was taking.

I concentrated on the reference points and on keeping one or two rotor diameters away from the other ship.

It is equally correct and sometimes more useful to view demand from the reference point of quantity.

It was a reference point without which the tragedy could not be expressed.

They establish reference points and reference lines.

This team has a reference point.

We are left with a play on signs which has no ultimate reference point other than the commodity.

score points

Even when scoring points at an astonishing pace, no opponent has been knocked out of a game.

How well she could keep control and use words and manipulate their meanings and score points.

National parks is a gold mine for scoring points with constituents, while anything in Commerce is a gold mine, period.

Of course, PeÜek's collection automatically scores points over the competition by virtue of its uniqueness.

People didn't try and score points off each other - contributions were acknowledged and applauded, rather than criticized or tested to destruction.

Reagan had already scored points by crossing the stage before the debate to shake hands with the startled Carter.

When he is good, like he was against Detroit, their offense can score points.

When that gap is found, the attacker exploits it by unleashing a rapid barrage of kicks and punches to score points.

sore point/spot/subject (with sb)

And now she had pierced her again in this sore spot.

Finally, there are plans to provide custodians a sore point to enable the churches to open for two hours a day.

Graduate entry with resultant opportunities for promotion was then - as now - an especially sore point.

It is still a sore point with both grandparents that neither Alice nor Henry have been baptized.

The potential restriction of physician income is a major sore point.

This is a sore spot with me.

Tom gently washed Willie's body again and smoothed witch-hazel on to the sore spots.

stick to the point/subject/facts

"Please stick to the facts," said the judge.

But caution is required where miracles come into play; let us stick to the facts.

Try to stick to the subject of the row rather than bringing up 25 years' worth of misdemeanours.

the whole point (of sth)

The whole point of coming here was to visit the cathedral.

As the sperm penetrates the egg it obviously adds more genetic material, which of course is the whole point.

His real name is Markham-or, as Blue sounds it out to himself, mark him-and that is the whole point.

I mean, that was, in a way, the whole point.

Not to know that is to be ignorant of the whole point of the affirmation.

Since the whole point of belief is to be true, logical inconsistency in belief defeats the aim of belief.

That, remember, is the whole point of female choosiness at leks.

Well, that was the whole point.

two points/five seconds etc adrift (of sb)

weak points/spots

Are you naturally more cautious, preferring to test the strength of your enemy before striking at his weak points?

He had not dealt with the bishop's weak points nor, according to Hooker, had he carried the audience with him.

However, in most of these, effusive approval is showered upon her, and her weak points are minimized.

Positive interpretation of weaknesses Be honest about assessing your weak points as well.

Scattered in pursuit, they provided perfect weak points for our counterattack.

That is why molecular studies designed to find the weak points in the viral attack must continue, Trono said.

We examined our weak points, and turned them into strengths.

What are his strong and weak points?

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

"I'll come straight to the point ," said the doctor. "I think you are suffering from depression."

a pencil point

Almost everything has been agreed. There is just one final point that needs to be settled.

Ben carved his name in the tree trunk, using the point of his knife.

By mixing metals it is possible to make alloys which are tougher and have a lower melting point than the individual metals.

Damon Hill leads the Formula 1 Championship, with 58 points from 6 races.

Exactly what point are you trying to make, Nick?

His plan has both good and bad points.

I can't see the point of travelling all that way and then only staying for one day.

In darts, you get 50 points for hitting the bullseye.

In his speech, Marks made the point that far more people died from smoking tobacco than from taking drugs.

It has small white flowers, and leaves that taper to a sharp point .

Line A crosses line B at point C.

Make a list of the main points in the article.

Michael's point about training is an interesting one.

one point nine percent

Reeves scored 23 points for Arizona.

Soon they came to a point where the road divided.

Steve Jones is 15 points ahead.

EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS

Cicely makes six points, grabs four rebounds and finally seems to know what plays are being run.

Each point in the ratio meant 100, 000 tons of capital ships, or the equivalent of about three battleships.

From this point on, to stop short will be difficult and frustrating.

How it got to this point is there was an investigation of a staff member abusing a child.

In other words, an increase in expected inflation of 5 percentage points shifts the Phillips curve upwards by 5 percentage points.

The market place was the growing point of most towns, and they have taken their shape around it.

They are now 0-6 in games decided by six points or fewer.

This survey data is cross-section data taken from a sample of households at a particular point in time.

II. verb

COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS

■ ADVERB

also

They also point out that the excessive amounts of sugar in some brands could also be harmful to older babies' teeth.

But they also point to the benefits of meaningful work in building self-esteem.

It also points out that Corus would not have to intend this outcome for there to be an action under the treaty.

They also point to cost savings for employers and patients alike.

Coverage of the Henan scandal also points the finger at inaction by the provincial authorities.

She also points to a 1989-90 grand jury report that alleged widespread police misconduct while Kolender was chief.

Hicks also points out that mis-spelt names may account for 20-50% of all errors in citations.

As they state, Piven and Cloward also point out the frequently racist aspects of states' policies toward the poor.

out

Guide writers have a traditional obligation to honour the historical record, alongside their duty to point out present circumstances.

The speaker pointed out , quite correctly, that this concept includes two separate types of therapy.

After defence lawyers pointed out the flats had not yet been built, they changed to an unspecified date in 1993.

Furthermore, the agent pointed out , he was not dead.

Many do not even see the business benefits of their ideas until these are pointed out to them.

Should it be pointed out all three winners were males?

It should be pointed out that despite increasing income concentration, there has been a general improvement in the quality of life.

But please remember what Doctor Barton has pointed out - you are not being judged twice for the same crime.

straight

He took an involuntary pace forward and raised the shotgun to point straight at Angel One's face.

Her doll sits stiffly, pointed straight ahead at the fixtures that emerge from the wall.

Then the rod-man screamed, arm pointing straight ahead at the surf.

It was pointing straight at him now.

I purchased a dedicated Pentax flashgun with an adjustable flash head which could be adjusted to point straight ahead or angled upwards.

He is pointing straight at William, who has his hand up.

Now keep it there and bend your body gradually sideways to the right, keeping your right arm pointing straight down.

Its barrel was pointing straight at her.

to

But the new-look candidates he pointed to are virtual unknowns.

For we concentrated entirely on resources internal to the individual rule-follower, on things which a solipsist could point to.

Is it possible, however, to point to even earlier examples of boundaries?

A final qualification is that the issues we are pointing to here are thoroughly debatable.

The first thing I would point to is that our training costs for last year averaged out at £5,100 per trainee.

Why, that must be where the signpost wass pointing to !

What could we point to if some one chose the latter continuation, to show that he was wrong?

It might also point to more appropriate ways of re-classifying subject areas so that the perspectives of both genders are represented.

■ NOUN

basis

Reoffered at 99. 5 to yield 485 basis points above the 7. 125 % Bund due 2003.

Two-year note yields tumbled 12 basis points to 5. 04, the lowest since March 1994.

August 1998 bonds rose 5 basis points to 7. 47 percent.

Reoffered at 99. 845 to yield a spread at the launch of three basis points above U. S. Treasurys.

The spread between the two-year and 10-year gilt was 133 basis points , unchanged from yesterday.

Mortgageto-Treasury spreads were seen tightening, but not by much more than a couple basis points .

Yields a spread of 34 basis points above the 10-year Treasury note.

The benchmark 5-year sterling swap spread was unchanged at 34 basis points .

direction

With a certain amount of ingenuity she can even use the balloon to steer herself by pointing it in various directions .

He raised his arm and pointed in no particular direction .

Apparently, one out of every 16 signposts at crossroads in the region are pointing in the wrong direction .

The main point: determine a direction in your list and follow it.

The same ideas apply in digraphs, except that all the edges must point in the same direction .

The circle is actually a large microwave tower with nine cones pointing in five directions .

However, he still managed to keep the weapon pointing loosely in his direction .

The old woman points south in the direction of the big house.

fact

One thing that must be pointed out is the fact that these remarks, however romantic-sounding, are all self-centred.

Other experts point to the fact that even specialists are losing jobs.

I pointed to the fact that I was younger than when he took over.

Manchester executives are not shy about pointing out that fact .

Rather it points to the fact that there has been a subtle change in the composition of the teaching force.

I can summarize the preceding by pointing to the fact that there is actually a dual metaphor being employed.

All the evidence would seem to point to the fact that this is the case.

finger

Squeezing To boost circulation in the thighs and calves, place your hands on the skin, fingers pointing away from you.

Her outstretched finger pointed to the window behind Dove.

Now the Collector's finger was pointing at other objects, including even those belonging to himself.

Because now the finger was pointed at managers: everyone knew if their office had a high rate.

With your fingers pointing downwards, gently pull each hand alternately straight up from the floor or table.

Dark fingers pointed at his wedding ring.

Bridget looked at where the small pink finger was pointing , she could see nothing.

Pointing, and tapping the button with the finger they were pointing with.

gun

They looked at the passports and then started to walk down the aisle, pointing their guns at the passengers.

Deering, whom Warren Cokley knew, entered pointing a gun at him.

He snapped off a shot, hardly even bothering to point the gun before he squeezed the trigger.

If Jack let his men point a gun at his own club, what other club could be safe?

Two men in their late teens or early twenties came into the office and pointed their guns at the cashiers face.

I turned around and saw a man pointing a gun at me.

Facing that wall was a picture of a huge hand pointing a gun directly at you.

I can close my eyes and point the gun and hit whatever it is.

percentage

The gender gap is the difference between these two margins: 16 percentage points .

Today, the prime rate is 2. 83 percentage points higher than the yield on a 10-year government note.

The poll, conducted by telephone Jan. 2-7, has a margin of error of 5. 5 percentage points .

It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3. 5 percentage points .

The finding carries a margin of error of 3. 5 percentage points .

So the female preference for Clinton was 5 percentage points higher than the male preference.

It would also raise the payroll tax 1. 52 percentage points .

By fifth grade, the difference had grown to 10. 8 percentage points .

way

It points the way to new directions for the late 1980s and 1990s.

The stark resonance of this solo piano album pointed the way .

Here, we can but point the way to the reader.

Suman Fernando points the way to a view of mental health that would be worthy of our rich and diverse world.

But without critics to point the way , that money might as well be tossed into the wind.

This may point the way in regard to the original problem.

Everything seemed to point that way .

■ VERB

score

Isaac Hawkins and Julius Page scored 10 points each.

Except for the time I scored 84 points in a backyard basketball game.

The Matadors scored the first five points of the match and won the first game without much drama.

The only starter to emerge with a decent game was rookie Brent Barry, who scored a career-high 22 points .

I like scoring the quiet points .

PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

(that's a) good idea/point/question

a moot point/question

It's a moot point whether this is censorship.

It is a moot point whether hierarchies exist outside our own thought processes.

Quite how long Lord Young was proposing to delay publication is a moot point.

This, of course, is a moot point.

When you go to a place called Texas Bone, deciding what to order becomes a moot point.

Whether the law should be this is a moot point.

Whether they have appeared as part of the C. and A.G.'s audit is a moot point.

Whether this input has made a significant impact on the pattern of activity is a moot point.

a pointed question/look/remark

As he left the office he locked it behind him, with a pointed look at Bob.

be beside the point

It's unrealistic, but that's beside the point - it's just good entertainment.

But the pedigree of this idea is beside the point.

But to criticize Mr Hall's production as an exercise in fuddy-duddy Shakespeare is beside the point.

He may manufacture these life units as required and he may simply have a given supply: that is beside the point.

She had come to no harm, but that was beside the point.

This semantic distinction is beside the point; the special admissions program is undeniably a classification based on race and ethnic back-ground.

What the outcome of seeing him might be is beside the point.

be the trigger (point) (for sth)

All we had to experience was the trigger and off we went into a state of fear.

And the loss of the ally may be the trigger which will start chain fission.

Could either or both factors be the trigger ?

I had provided the direction in my lecture, and Our discussion was the trigger .

That was the trigger that started the weeping.

The new stand was the trigger for the layout.

Your saying the work is urgent is the trigger , the result is lateness.

get/score/earn Brownie points

get/win/score brownie points

high point

As the pedal is pressed downward from its highest point, it also moves forward.

At the top of the theater steps, the highest point, all four forms appear.

Christmas and New Year have long been the high point for visitor and Madeiran alike.

His engagement to Nora Cushing had been the high point of her life.

Political repression and racial discrimination were at a high point.

That is just the intensification, the high point of an ongoing process.

They were at the highest point for twenty li about.

We are now reaching the high point of the truly happy life.

not to put too fine a point on it

Everyone there - not to put too fine a point on it - was crazy.

The dishes we tried tasted, not to put too fine a point on it, like gasoline.

point of contact

It's difficult to find a point of contact between theory and practice.

The new service center will serve as the single point of contact for general customer inquiries.

I have spoken of the point of contact but with the proper grip it will be much easier.

If you bought mail order, then the first point of contact is the software house or importer concerned.

In the early stages, the baby's mouth is an important point of contact with the world.

It also reduced friction at the point of contact .

The parties are no longer the chief point of contact between the electorate and the politicians.

These are the solid points of contact that they keep with the rock, which enable them to move safely.

This chapter explores the points of contact between the theory of social representations and the rhetorical approach.

Your family doctor is always your first point of contact .

reference point

Fitzgerald's case will be the reference point for lawyers in tomorrow's trial.

The time he spent in prison serves as a point of reference for Bowden - the lessons are worth remembering.

Align to line up typeset or other graphic material as specified, using a base or vertical line as the reference point.

But he remained a constant reference point among those concerned about the course the nation was taking.

I concentrated on the reference points and on keeping one or two rotor diameters away from the other ship.

It is equally correct and sometimes more useful to view demand from the reference point of quantity.

It was a reference point without which the tragedy could not be expressed.

They establish reference points and reference lines.

This team has a reference point.

We are left with a play on signs which has no ultimate reference point other than the commodity.

sore point/spot/subject (with sb)

And now she had pierced her again in this sore spot.

Finally, there are plans to provide custodians a sore point to enable the churches to open for two hours a day.

Graduate entry with resultant opportunities for promotion was then - as now - an especially sore point.

It is still a sore point with both grandparents that neither Alice nor Henry have been baptized.

The potential restriction of physician income is a major sore point.

This is a sore spot with me.

Tom gently washed Willie's body again and smoothed witch-hazel on to the sore spots.

the whole point (of sth)

The whole point of coming here was to visit the cathedral.

As the sperm penetrates the egg it obviously adds more genetic material, which of course is the whole point.

His real name is Markham-or, as Blue sounds it out to himself, mark him-and that is the whole point.

I mean, that was, in a way, the whole point.

Not to know that is to be ignorant of the whole point of the affirmation.

Since the whole point of belief is to be true, logical inconsistency in belief defeats the aim of belief.

That, remember, is the whole point of female choosiness at leks.

Well, that was the whole point.

two points/five seconds etc adrift (of sb)

weak points/spots

Are you naturally more cautious, preferring to test the strength of your enemy before striking at his weak points?

He had not dealt with the bishop's weak points nor, according to Hooker, had he carried the audience with him.

However, in most of these, effusive approval is showered upon her, and her weak points are minimized.

Positive interpretation of weaknesses Be honest about assessing your weak points as well.

Scattered in pursuit, they provided perfect weak points for our counterattack.

That is why molecular studies designed to find the weak points in the viral attack must continue, Trono said.

We examined our weak points, and turned them into strengths.

What are his strong and weak points?

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

"Look,'' she said, pointing at a vase in a shop window.

"That's Margo's bouquet, on the table.'' Mother pointed to a massive bunch of spring flowers.

A handmade sign for the party pointed down a dirt road.

Babies learn to point before they learn to talk.

Children are taught that it's rude to point .

Could you point me in the right direction?

Don't point your finger at me.

It will be time to go when the big hand points to 12 and the little hand points to 8.

The teacher pointed at Marcus and told him to come to the front of the class.

EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS

He rested the handle on the hair between her legs, the blade pointing up towards her abdomen.

So when he followed up by pointing us towards the touchline, I got the shock of my life.

The comment was pointed at du Cann.

Then the rod-man screamed, arm pointing straight ahead at the surf.

They were crowded together in a corner, their tails pointing the same way.

Winston points to airline deregulation as case in point.

Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary.      Дополнительный английский словарь Longman DOCE5.