English → Latin
“point” in Latin
aculeussting, stinger (of an insect); sting (metaphorical); spine, thornacūmena sharpened pointmūcrōA sharp point, especially the point of a sword.; A sword.; A sharp edge.cuspispoint, tip (of a pointed object); spit (for cooking); sting (of an insect etc.)cacūmenpeak, extremity, top, summit; end, limit; accent mark placed over a letterculmenstalk; top, roof, summit, peak; height, acmefastīgiumpeak, summit, top; extreme part, extremity of a thing; slope, declivity, descentvertexwhirl, whirlpool, eddy, vortex; eddy of wind or flame, whirlwind, coil of flame; top, crown of the headprōmunturiumpeak, ridge, highest part of a mountain chain.; cape, headland, promontory, nessgradusa step, pace; a grade; a stage, degree
The English word point itself goes back to Latin pungō, through pūnctum.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
point s.
A sharp end, aculeus; acumen; mucro (of a sword, etc.): cuspis (of on arrow or spear): At the point of the bayonet, punctim (after Liv.): the point of an epigram, etc., aculeus.
A summit, cacumen; culmen; fastigium; vertex.
A headland, promontorium.
Degree, gradus. To the last point, ut nihil supra.
Critical moment, temporis punctum or momentum. To be on the point of, in eo est ut, etc., aliquid faciam, or ut aliquid fiat (☞ avoid in eo sum, ut, which is found first in Servius, Virg., Aen., 3, 28). Also simply by the future participle active; e.g., I was on the point of setting out on a journey, iter facturus eram: when he was on the point of setting out, profecturus; or sub ipsa profectione: they were on the point of coming to blows, prope erant ut manus consererent (Liv.).
Particular: the chief or main point, caput, summa (alicujus rei); cardo alicujus rei (post-Augustan, point on which anything turns; Verg., Aen., 1, 672; Quint., 5, 12, 13, etc.): momentum (decisive point, ῥοπή): the main point in a dispute, quaestio: the main point of the question is, quaeritur de, with an ablative (in a philosophical question): agitur de, with an ablative (in a philosophical or judicial question): to touch only the main point of a thing, summatim aliquid exponere; summas tantummodo attingere (in a narrative; Nep., Pelop., 1, 1).
Exact place: point of view, (PROP.) locus unde prospectus (to a distance) or despectus (to a lower part) est; (figuratively) e.g., to consider a matter in a right point of view, vere or recte judicare de re; in a wrong point of view, aliquid fallaci judicio (or fallacibus judiciis) videre.
point v.
To give a point to, exacuere; praeacuere; acuminare (Lactantius); acutum facere; cuspidare (Plin.): ☞ peracuere does not occur.
To direct, dirigere in locum.
To designate (usually with out or to), significare aliquid or aliquem (PROP. and figuratively); digito demonstrare aliquem conspicuumque facere (PROP., to point with the finger to anyone whom one would distinguish among a larger number; Vid: Suet., Oct., 45, extr.): designare or denotare aliquem (figuratively, to allude to anyone in a speech; Vid: Caes., B.G., 1, 18; Liv., 4, 55: ☞ indigitare and innuere in this sense are unclassical).
To indicate as a sporting dog, avem facere (after Sen.) [Vid: POINTER].
To distinguish by points, interpunctionibus, or interpunctis, orationem distinguere; interpungere.
To finish (a wall) by inlaying mortar, etc., (parietem) effarcire caementis.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for point?
- The usual Latin words for “point” are aculeus, acūmen, mūcrō; also cuspis, cacūmen, culmen. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.