pointer
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pointer¹
- /ˈpɔɪn.tə/ UK
- /ˈpɔɪn.təɹ/ US
- /ˈpɔɪnəɹ/ US
Rhymes with -ɔɪntə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From point + -er (agent noun suffix) or + -er (measurement suffix) (sense 4).
noun pointers
- One who points. The talkers and pointers had undermined him. They had touched him with the acid of their suspicions, and the corrosion spread until he himself had lost sight of the truth.
-
A teacher's pointer, pointing stick, a rod with an arrow.
Similar: fescue
- A needlelike component of a timepiece or measuring device that indicates the time or the current reading of the device.
- Any of several breeds of hunting dog, trained to point out game; an individual of such a breed. Most of the early wirehaired pointers represented a combination of Griffon, Stichelhaar, Pudelpointer, and German Shorthair. The Pudelpointer was a cross between a Poodle dog and an English Pointer bitch; the Griffon and the Stichelhaar were composed of Pointer, Foxhound, Pudelpointer, and a Polish
-
A variable that holds the address of a memory location where a value can be stored.
I do consider assignment statements and pointer variables to be among computer science's "most valuable treasures."
Similar: reference
-
An icon that indicates the position of the pointing device, such as a mouse.
The system notifies the user of the progress of a task by changing the appearance of the pointer. System-busy pointers usually adopt a timepiece metaphor.
Similar: cursor
- A tip, a bit of advice. The instructor gave me some pointers on writing a good paper.
- Something that gives a point (sharp end) to something. pencil pointer
- Something worth a given number of points. a ten-pointer
Pointer²
proper noun Pointers
- A surname.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: arrow, cursor, spanish pointer, pointing, tip, sweep, aimer, needle, marker, beacon, stylus, prompt, gauge, flag, altimeter, pattern
Translations
Every language
noun anything that points or is used for pointing
| Español | puntero |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 지시봉 jisibong |
| 日本語 | 文字さし mojisashi, 教鞭 kyōben, 指し棒 sashibō |
| 中文 | 教鞭 jiàobiān, 指示棍 zhǐshìgùn |
| Português | ponteiro |
| Français | aiguille, baguette |
| Deutsch | Zeigestock, Zeigestab |
| Italiano | bacchetta |
| Русский | ука́зка ukázka, указа́тель ukazátelʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | que chỉ |
noun teacher's pointer
| Español | puntero |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 교편 gyopyeon |
| 日本語 | 指し棒 sashibō |
| 中文 | 教鞭 jiàobiān |
| Deutsch | Zeigestock, Zeigestab |
| Italiano | bacchetta |
| Русский | ука́зка ukázka |
noun needle of a timepiece or measuring device
| Español | aguja, saeta, índex, saetilla, manecilla |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 바늘 baneul, 지침 jichim |
| 日本語 | 指針 shishin |
| 中文 | 指針 /指针 zhǐzhēn |
| Português | ponteiro |
| Français | aiguille |
| Deutsch | Zeiger, Nadel |
| Italiano | indicatore |
| Русский | стре́лка strélka |
noun breed of hunting dog
| Español | perro de muestra, braco |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 포인터 pointeo |
| 日本語 | ポインター pointa |
| 中文 | 指標犬 /指标犬 zhǐbiāoquǎn |
| Português | pointer, perdigueiro, braco |
| Français | braque, chien d'arrêt |
| Deutsch | Vorstehhund, Pointer |
| Italiano | puntatore, cane da punta, bracco |
| Ελληνικά | πόιντερ póinter |
| Русский | по́йнтер pójntɛr |
noun programming: variable that stores the address of another variable
| Español | apuntador, puntero |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 포인터 pointeo |
| 日本語 | ポインター pointa |
| 中文 | 指標 /指标 zhǐbiāo, 指針 /指针 zhǐzhēn |
| Português | ponteiro |
| Français | pointeur |
| Deutsch | Zeiger, Pointer |
| Italiano | puntatore |
| Ελληνικά | δείκτης deíktis |
| Română | pointer |
| Русский | указа́тель ukazátelʹ, по́йнтер pójntɛr |
| العربية | مُؤَشِّر muʔaššir |
noun GUI: icon indicating mouse position
| Español | puntero |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 포인터 pointeo |
| 日本語 | ポインター pointā |
| Português | ponteiro |
noun tip, bit of advice
| Español | indicación, sugerencia, idea, consejo, recomendación, tip |
|---|---|
| Português | dica |
| Deutsch | Fingerzeig |
Talk about this word "pointer." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/pointer. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. pointer. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/pointer "pointer." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/pointer.Cite this
@misc{pointer_2026,
title = {pointer},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/pointer},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
