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points

n.
US //ˈpɔɪnts// UK //pˈɔɪnts// points
  1. 1 score in a game (n.)
    A1 Beginner Sport

    the marks or units you win in a game or sport.

    numerical units used to track the score or determine the winner in a competition.

    Example

    The team won by ten points after a very exciting final minute.

    Example

    The league standings are currently determined by total points, though goal difference remains a critical tie-breaker for the top three positions.

  2. 2 ideas or arguments (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    specific ideas or facts that you mention in a discussion.

    discrete items of information, arguments, or suggestions presented during a discourse.

    Example

    She made several good points during the meeting about saving money.

    Example

    The speaker addressed the most contentious points of the proposal first to ensure the audience understood the underlying logic of the changes.

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  1. 3 railway track switches (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate British English

    the moving parts of a train track that let a train change lines.

    movable sections of railway track that allow a train to be diverted from one line to another.

    Example

    The train was delayed because of a problem with the points at the station.

    Example

    Engineers were dispatched to repair the frozen points, which had prevented several commuter trains from entering the main terminal during rush hour.

    Usage

    Usually plural in this sense.

  2. 4 theatrical emphasis (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Literary Theatre

    strong movements or ways of speaking that actors use to get attention.

    stylised or exaggerated speech and gestures used by a performer to highlight specific moments or elicit a reaction.

    Example

    The old actor was famous for making his points with grand hand gestures.

    Example

    The director cautioned the lead against overplaying his points, fearing that such nineteenth-century theatricality would clash with the play's modern minimalist aesthetic.

Idioms1 entry

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