/ ˈpʌŋktʃueɪt; NAmE / verb
1.
[ vn ] [ often passive ] punctuate sth (with sth) to interrupt sth at intervals :
Her speech was punctuated by bursts of applause.
2.
[ v , vn ] to divide writing into sentences and phrases by using special marks, for example commas, question marks, etc.
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 17th cent. (in the sense point out ): from medieval Latin punctuat- brought to a point, from the verb punctuare , from punctum a point.