Pointy

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈpɔɪnti/

Definitions

1. Having a thin, sharp extremity that extends outward
2. Resembling a form that narrows to a distinct, acute edge
3. Characterized by a tapered end that ends in a sharp tip

Etymology: "Pointy" is a plain English formation: the noun "point" with the suffix "-y" attached, meaning "having the quality of." The suffix comes from Old English "-iġ," which turned into Middle English "-y" and survived into modern English as the same ending we use in words like "stony" or "hairy." The noun it builds on has a longer journey. It traces back through Old French "point" to Latin "pūnctum," the neuter past participle of "pungere," meaning "to prick" or "to pierce." Latin "pungere" ultimately goes back to a Proto-Italic root "pungō," so the core idea of "point" is a puncture: something that pricks. English borrowed "point" from French in the Middle English period, and it kept that original sense of a sharp end before taking on its many later meanings.

Synonyms: sharp, spiky, jagged, tapered, angular

Antonyms: blunt, flat, rounded, dull, smooth