pointers
|point-er|
🇺🇸
/ˈpɔɪn.tɚ/
🇬🇧
/ˈpɔɪn.tə/
(pointer)
indicator or guide
Etymology
'pointer' originates from English, formed from the verb 'point' plus the agent suffix '-er' (meaning 'one who points'). 'Point' itself comes from Old French 'pointe' (or Anglo-French 'poynte'), ultimately from Latin 'punctum' (from 'pungere').
'pointer' developed after the Middle English noun/verb 'point', which came from Old French 'pointe' (meaning 'point, tip'), and that Old French came from Latin 'punctum'. The modern English 'pointer' arose by adding the agentive suffix '-er' to 'point'.
Initially related to a 'sharp or pointed part' (from Latin 'punctum'), the meaning broadened in English to include 'that which indicates or shows' and later specialized further in contexts such as advice ('useful pointers') and computing ('memory reference').
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
things that indicate direction or position (e.g., arrows, hands on a clock, rods that point).
The survey included several pointers on the map to show safe routes.
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Noun 2
hints or practical pieces of advice (helpful suggestions).
She gave me several useful pointers for improving my résumé.
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Noun 3
in computing, a variable or value that stores the memory address of another value or object (a reference to a location in memory).
In C programming, pointers are used to manipulate memory and pass large structures efficiently.
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Last updated: 2026/01/11 05:26