pointer

American  

[poin-ter] / ˈpɔɪn tər /

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.

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

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

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

6. a piece of advice, especially on how to succeed in a specific area.

   The food expert gave some good pointers on making better salads.

   Synonyms:

   caution, suggestion, hint, tip

7. Computers.

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

   2. 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.

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

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pointer British  

/ ˈpɔɪntə /

noun

1. a person or thing that points

2. an indicator on a measuring instrument

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

4. 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

5. a helpful piece of information or advice

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Etymology

Origin of pointer

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

Example Sentences

"He's good to give you little pointers and little nuggets of experience that he had in run-ins and things like that, so he's been good as gold," McInnes said.

From Barron's

I've been really conscious of not giving him an awful lot - a couple of little pointers, a bit of positional things and some little bits here and there - but trust in what he is.

From BBC

Bilodeau, who scored only four points in the first 20 minutes, hit a three pointer 10 seconds into the second half and added another to tie the score at 38.

From Los Angeles Times

She didn’t have a gun or a knife, just her old pointer dog by her side.

From Literature

The other wall had a giant rainbow-colored papier-mâché hand, its pointer finger sticking straight out and beneath it the words You Belong scrawled in loopy neon letters.

From Literature

Related Words

• clue