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cardinal point

American  
[kahr-din-uhl point] / ˈkɑr dɪn əl ˈpɔɪnt /

noun

plural

cardinal points

  1. a crucial point in an argument, agenda, history, etc.; key fact or idea.

  2. any of the four main points of the compass: north, south, east, or west.

cardinal point Scientific  

  1. One of the four principal directions on a compass (north, south, east, or west).

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He forced a turnover after getting Cardinal point guard Michael O’Connell to dribble the ball off his own body with pressure defense.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2023

Cardinal point of Hauser's study is the split personality of the Japanese.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.