punctuate

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We can nevertheless turn Theseus 'moral to the crux of Casler's illustration: it is not enough to punctuate, but to punctuate true.

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Definitions (11)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (4)

  1. transitive verb To provide (a text) with punctuation marks.
  2. transitive verb To interrupt periodically: "lectures punctuated by questions and discussions” (Gilbert Highet). "[There is] a great emptiness in America's West punctuated by Air Force bases” (Alfred Kazin).
  3. transitive verb To stress or emphasize.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (3)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (3)

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Examples

  • Fritz learned to write a fine, free-flowing, rapid and legible business-hand; "Arithmetic" too, "Geography," and many other Useful Knowledges that had some geniality of character, or attractiveness in practice, were among his acquisitions; much, very much he learned in the course of his life; but to SPELL, much more to punctuate, and subdue the higher mysteries of Grammar to himself, was always an unachievable perfection. —  History of Friedrich II of Prussia
  • We can nevertheless turn Theseus 'moral to the crux of Casler's illustration: it is not enough to punctuate, but to punctuate true. —  VERBATIM: The Language Quarterly Vol IX No 1
  • As if to punctuate his words, the wind whistled and blew a blast of snow through one of the torn shades. —  Conan the Indomitable
  • Carter began to pace quickly, as if to punctuate his words with his footfalls. —  Analog Science Fiction and Fact
  • -- L.M. Acknowledgments To Jim Frenkel, Tor editor, who edited this book with considerable patience despite dealing with an author who can't spell or punctuate, and has no computer-savvy whatsoever. —  Beast Master's Circus
 

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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

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Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Medieval Latin pūnctuāre, pūnctuāt-, from Latin pūnctum, point, from neuter past participle of pungere, to prick; see peuk- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. from Middle Latin punctuate (later F. ponctuer), mark with points, from Latin punctus, a point: see point, n., and cf. point, v., punch, v., and punctate.
  2. from Middle Latin punctuatus, past participle: see the verb.
 

Pronunciations
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/ˈpəŋktʃjueɪt/
by American Heritage

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