punctation

[ puhngk-tey-shuhn ]

noun

1. punctate condition or marking.
2. one of the marks or depressions.

Word History and Origins

Origin of punctation¹

1610–20; < Medieval Latin pūnctātiōn-, stem of pūnctātiō, equivalent to pūnctāt ( us ) (past participle of pūnctāre to mark with points; point ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

At least that’s what I think was going on; the script, mimicking the disorderly and pressurized output of a mind in fatal distress, speeds right past pauses and punctation as it twists multiple points of view into a furious screed:

From New York Times

A defeat would not just put a grim punctation mark on a dismal year for Democrats, who have already surrendered eight seats along with control of the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

The other was the so-called congress of Ems, a meeting of the delegates of the four German archbishops, which resulted, on the 25th of August, in the celebrated “Punctation of Ems,” subsequently ratified and issued by the archbishops.

From Project Gutenberg

In drawing up the “Punctation” he took no active part, but it was wholly inspired by his principles.

From Project Gutenberg

In this particular case, the faint punctation of the surface may possibly indicate the presence of air vesicles of a size sufficiently great to be visible under the microscope.

From Project Gutenberg