PINPOINT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does pinpoint mean? 

• PINPOINT (noun)
  The noun PINPOINT has 3 senses:

1. a very brief moment

2. a very small spot

3. the sharp point of a pin

  Familiarity information: PINPOINT used as a noun is uncommon.

• PINPOINT (verb)
  The verb PINPOINT has 1 sense:

1. locate exactly

  Familiarity information: PINPOINT used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PINPOINT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A very brief moment

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Context example:

they were strangers sharing a pinpoint of time together

Hypernyms ("pinpoint" is a kind of...):

instant; minute; moment; second (a particular point in time)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A very small spot

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

pinpoint; speck

Context example:

the plane was just a speck in the sky

Hypernyms ("pinpoint" is a kind of...):

dapple; fleck; maculation; patch; speckle; spot (a small contrasting part of something)

Derivation:

pinpoint (locate exactly)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The sharp point of a pin

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("pinpoint" is a kind of...):

point (sharp end)

• PINPOINT (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they pinpoint    ... he / she / it pinpoints   
Past simple: pinpointed   
Past participle: pinpointed   
-ing form: pinpointing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Locate exactly

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

nail; pinpoint

Context example:

The chemists could not nail the identity of the chromosome

Hypernyms (to "pinpoint" is one way to...):

locate; turn up (discover the location of; determine the place of; find by searching or examining)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

pinpoint (a very small spot)

 Context examples 

Additional analyses involving even more people will help scientists further pinpoint the genes and sequences that confer risk.

(Over 100 Genetic Sites Tied to Schizophrenia, NIH)

It’s also difficult to pinpoint what these patterns from the past could signify for Earth’s future.

(A new study is the first to measure the time lags between changing ocean currents and major climate shifts., University of Cambridge)

These tiny electrodes are used to pinpoint seizure-causing brain regions for possible surgical removal.

(Storing memories of recent events, NIH)

This would not be the day to travel, for Uranus is the planet ruling all things unexpected, so it is hard to pinpoint precisely what might come up.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Within these regions, researchers know there are one or more genetic changes that affect the risk of developing cancer, but rarely are they able to pinpoint the specific variants or genes involved.

(Detailed genetic study provides most comprehensive map of risk to date of breast cancer risk, University of Cambridge)

“We're unable to pinpoint exactly how much mass each of these black holes contains,” said co-author John Ruan, also of the University of Washington.

(Giant Black Hole Pair Photobombs Andromeda Galaxy, NASA)

Pinpoint, unraised, round red spots under the skin caused by bleeding.

(Petechia, NCI Dictionary)

Recent studies in birds have identified large regions of the genome associated with migration, encompassing hundreds of genes, but it has been difficult to pinpoint the specific roles of any single gene.

(New insights into genetic basis of bird migration, National Science Foundation)

With the power of ALMA, which allowed a detailed look into the star-forming region AFGL 5142, astronomers could pinpoint where phosphorus-bearing molecules, like phosphorus monoxide, form.

(Astronomers Reveal Interstellar Thread of One of Life’s Building Blocks, ESO)

For decades, scientists studying osteoporosis have used X-ray imaging to analyze the structure of bones and pinpoint strong and weak spots.

(Discovery may lead to osteoporosis treatment, National Science Foundation)