Part 664

The theory of the punctual existence of the soul.

Krauth.

2. Observant of nice points; punctilious; precise.

Punctual to tediousness in all that he relates.

Bp. Burnet.

So much on punctual niceties they stand.

C. Pitt.

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.

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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.