Meaning & use

Pointer

noun·Everyday

Last updated

A piece of helpful advice or a useful hint; also, an indicator or a breed of hunting dog.

See it in a sentence

The mentor gave the new hire a few pointers on writing better emails.

The German pointer stood frozen, nose aimed at the hidden pheasant.

A note on using this word

In computer science, a 'pointer' also refers to a variable that stores a memory address, one of many specialized senses the word has acquired.

Words with a similar meaning

tiphintsuggestion

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. noun

A breed of short-haired hunting dog trained to indicate the location of game by standing rigidly and facing toward it.

The pointer froze mid-stride, one paw raised, sensing the bird nearby.

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