3. Appearing or done at, or adhering exactly to, a regular or an
appointed time; precise; prompt; as, a punctual man; a punctual
payment. "The race of the undeviating and punctual sun." Cowper.
These sharp strokes [of a pendulum], with their inexorably steady
intersections, so agree with our successive thoughts that they seem
like the punctual stops counting off our very souls into the past.
J. Martineau.
<! p. 1163 !>
Punc"tu*al*ist (?), n. One who is very exact in observing forms and
ceremonies. Milton.
Punc`tu*al"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. ponctualitÈ.] The quality or state of
being punctual; especially, adherence to the exact time of an
engagement; exactness.
Punc"tu*al*ly (?), adv. In a punctual manner; promptly; exactly.
Punc"tu*al*ness, n. Punctuality; exactness.
Punc"tu*ate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Punctuated (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Punctuating.] [Cf. F. ponctuer. See Punctual.] To mark with points; to
separate into sentences, clauses, etc., by points or stops which mark
the proper pauses in expressing the meaning.
Punc`tu*a"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. ponctuation.] (Gram.) The act or art of
punctuating or pointing a writing or discourse; the art or mode of
dividing literary composition into sentences, and members of a
sentence, by means of points, so as to elucidate the author's meaning.
Punctuation, as the term is usually understood, is chiefly performed
with four points: the period [.], the colon [:], the semicolon [;], and
the comma [,]. Other points used in writing and printing, partly
rhetorical and partly grammatical, are the note of interrogation [?],
the note of exclamation [!], the parentheses [()], the dash [--], and
brackets []. It was not until the 16th century that an approach was
made to the present system of punctuation by the Manutii of Venice.
With Caxton, oblique strokes took the place of commas and periods.
Punc"tu*a*tive (?), a. Of or belonging to points of division; relating
to punctuation.
The punctuative intonation of feeble cadence.
Rush.
Punc"tu*a`tor (?), n. One who punctuates, as in writing; specifically,
a punctator.
Punc"tu*ist, n. A punctator.
{ Punc"tu*late (?), Punc"tu*la`ted (?), } a. [L. punctulum, dim. of
punctum point.] Marked with small spots.
The studs have their surface punctulated, as if set all over with
other studs infinitely lesser.
Woodward.
||Punc"tum (?), n. [L., a point.] A point.
||Punctum cÊcum. [L., blind point.] (Anat.) Same as Blind spot, under
||Blind. -- ||Punctum proximum, near point. See under Point. --
||||Punctum remotum, far point. See under Point. -- ||Punctum
||vegetationis [L., point of vegetation] (Bot.), the terminal cell of a
||stem, or of a leaf bud, from which new growth originates.
Punc`tu*ra"tion (?), n. The act or process of puncturing. See
Acupuncture.
Punc"ture (?), n. [L. punctura, fr. pungere, punctum, to prick. See
Pungent.] 1. The act of puncturing; perforating with something pointed.
2. A small hole made by a point; a slight wound, bite, or sting; as,
the puncture of a nail, needle, or pin.
A lion may perish by the puncture of an asp.
Rambler.
Punc"ture, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Punctured (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Puncturing.] To pierce with a small, pointed instrument, or the like;
to prick; to make a puncture in; as, to puncture the skin.
Punc"tured (?), a. 1. Having the surface covered with minute
indentations or dots.
2. (Med.) Produced by puncture; having the characteristics of a
puncture; as, a punctured wound.
Pun"dit (?), n. [Hind. pandit, Skr. pandita a learned man.] A learned
man; a teacher; esp., a Brahman versed in the Sanskrit language, and in
the science, laws, and religion of the Hindoos; in Cashmere, any clerk
or native official. [Written also pandit.] [India]