Adjacent Words

Punctuate definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PUNC'TUATE, v.t. [L. punctum, a point.] To mark with points; to designate sentences, clauses or other divisions of a writing by points, which mark the proper pauses.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: insert punctuation marks into [syn: punctuate, mark]
2: to stress, single out as important; "Dr. Jones emphasizes exercise in addition to a change in diet" [syn: stress, emphasize, emphasise, punctuate, accent, accentuate]
3: interrupt periodically; "Her sharp questions punctuated the speaker's drone"

Merriam Webster's

verb (-ated; -ating) Etymology: Medieval Latin punctuatus, past participle of punctuare to point, provide with punctuation marks, from Latin punctus point Date: circa 1766 transitive verb 1. to mark or divide (written matter) with punctuation marks 2. to break into or interrupt at intervals <the steady click of her needles punctuated the silence — Edith Wharton> 3. accentuate, emphasize intransitive verb to use punctuation marks • punctuator noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 insert punctuation marks in. 2 interrupt at intervals (punctuated his tale with heavy sighs). Etymology: med.L punctuare punctuat- (as PUNCTUAL)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Punctuate 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.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(punctuates, punctuating, punctuated) If an activity or situation is punctuated by particular things, it is interrupted by them at intervals. (WRITTEN) The silence of the night was punctuated by the distant rumble of traffic. VERB: usu passive, be V-ed by/with n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. Point, mark with points, separate into sentences.

Moby Thesaurus

accent, accentuate, analyze, belabor, blaze, blaze a trail, blemish, blotch, bracket, brand, break, chalk, chalk up, check, check off, cicatrize, conjugate, dapple, dash, decline, define, delimit, demarcate, discolor, divide, dot, dwell on, emphasize, engrave, fleck, freckle, gash, give emphasis to, harp on, hatch, highlight, hyphenate, impress, imprint, inflect, interrupt, intersperse, italicize, line, make a mark, mark, mark off, mark out, mottle, nick, notch, overaccentuate, overemphasize, overstress, parenthesize, parse, pencil, pepper, place emphasis on, point, point up, prick, print, punch, puncture, riddle, rub in, scar, scarify, score, scotch, scratch, seal, seam, separate, speck, speckle, splotch, spot, spotlight, sprinkle, stain, stamp, star, stigmatize, streak, stress, striate, stripe, tattoo, tick, tick off, trace, underline, underscore