pointer

[ poin-ter ]
See synonyms for: pointerpointers on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a person or thing that points.

  2. a long, tapering stick used by teachers, lecturers, etc., in pointing things out on a map, blackboard, or the like.

  1. the hand on a watch dial, clock face, scale, etc.

  2. Military. the member of an artillery crew who aims the weapon.

  3. one of a breed of short-haired hunting dogs trained to point game.

  4. a piece of advice, especially on how to succeed in a specific area: The food expert gave some good pointers on making better salads.

  5. Computers.

    • an identifier giving the location in storage of something of interest, as a data item, table, or subroutine.

    • a moveable icon in a graphical user interface, as an arrow, that marks the user’s location in the interface relative to areas of the screen where user input is possible.: See also cursor (def. 1).

  6. Pointers, Astronomy. the two outer stars of the Big Dipper that lie on a line that passes very near Polaris and are used for finding it.

Origin of pointer

1
First recorded in 1490–1500; point + -er1

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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pointer in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pointer

pointer

/ (ˈpɔɪntə) /


noun
  1. a person or thing that points

  2. an indicator on a measuring instrument

  1. a long rod or cane used by a lecturer to point to parts of a map, blackboard, etc

  2. one of a breed of large swift smooth-coated dogs, usually white with black, liver, or lemon markings: when on shooting expeditions it points to the bird with its nose, body, and tail in a straight line

  3. a helpful piece of information or advice

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012