# Pointers

/ˈpɔɪntɝz/ (US) · /pˈɔɪntəz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pointers
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. helpful tips

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

useful pieces of advice or hints on how to do something better.

For teachers: practical suggestions or pieces of advice intended to assist in a task or improve performance.

- The teacher gave me some useful pointers on how to improve my essay before the final deadline.
- The veteran developer offered several pointers regarding the new codebase, helping the junior engineers avoid common pitfalls during the integration phase.

### 2. navigation stars

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

pairs of stars that help you find important points in the sky, like the North Star.

For teachers: specific pairs of stars used in celestial navigation to locate other stars or constellations, such as Dubhe and Merak pointing toward Polaris.

- If you follow the line created by the two pointers in the Big Dipper, you will find the North Star.
- Navigators historically relied on the pointers in the constellation Ursa Major to accurately identify Polaris and determine their latitude at sea.

## Examples

- The coach gave me some pointers on my tennis serve.
- Before the interview, my mentor gave me a few pointers on how to answer difficult questions about my career gaps.
- While the manual provides a general overview of the software, the lead developer shared several specific pointers that significantly reduced our processing time during the final testing phase.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.