PUNCTUATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does punctuate mean? 

• PUNCTUATE (verb)
  The verb PUNCTUATE has 3 senses:

1. insert punctuation marks into

2. to stress, single out as important

3. interrupt periodically

  Familiarity information: PUNCTUATE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PUNCTUATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they punctuate    ... he / she / it punctuates   
Past simple: punctuated   
Past participle: punctuated   
-ing form: punctuating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Insert punctuation marks into

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

mark; punctuate

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

add (make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "punctuate"):

quote (put quote marks around)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

punctuation (the use of certain marks to clarify meaning of written material by grouping words grammatically into sentences and clauses and phrases)

punctuation (the marks used to clarify meaning by indicating separation of words into sentences and clauses and phrases)

Sense 2

Meaning:

To stress, single out as important

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

accent; accentuate; emphasise; emphasize; punctuate; stress

Context example:

Dr. Jones emphasizes exercise in addition to a change in diet

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

evince; express; show (give expression to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "punctuate"):

background; downplay; play down (understate the importance or quality of)

bring out; set off (direct attention to, as if by means of contrast)

re-emphasise; re-emphasize (emphasize anew)

bear down (pay special attention to)

topicalize (emphasize by putting heavy stress on or by moving to the front of the sentence)

point up (emphasize, especially by identification)

drive home; press home; ram home (make clear by special emphasis and try to convince somebody of something)

emphasise; emphasize; underline; underscore (give extra weight to (a communication))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sense 3

Meaning:

Interrupt periodically

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

Her sharp questions punctuated the speaker's drone

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

break up; cut off; disrupt; interrupt (make a break in)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

 Context examples 

It was a crunching of heavy feet, punctuated now and again by the clattering of a displaced stone.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Fortunately, low-mass stars like TRAPPIST-1 have temperatures and brightnesses that remain relatively constant over trillions of years, punctuated by occasional magnetic flaring events.

(TRAPPIST-1 is Older Than Our Solar System, NASA/JPL)

Retinopathy associated with diabetes mellitus, which may be of the background type, progressively characterized by microaneurysms, interretinal punctuate macular edema, or of the proliferative type, characterized by neovascularization of the retina and optic disk, which may project into the vitreous, proliferation of fibrous tissue, vitreous hemorrhage, and retinal detachment.

(Diabetic Retinopathy, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)