punctuation
punctuation Lexical Profile
punctuation Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The marks, such as periods, commas, and parentheses, used in writing to separate sentences and their elements and to clarify meaning; the practice or system of using such marks.
"Proper punctuation is essential for avoiding ambiguity in formal writing."
An interruption, break, or emphatic interlude in a continuous process or series of events.
"Bursts of laughter served as welcome punctuations during the otherwise solemn lecture."
In evolutionary biology, a rapid episode of speciation that interrupts long periods of evolutionary stability (stasis).
"The fossil record in this stratum shows a clear pattern of evolutionary stasis followed by sudden punctuation."
• Rhymes for punctuation
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Medieval Latin 'punctuatio' ('a marking with points'), from Latin 'punctus' ('a point' or 'prick'), from the verb 'pungere' ('to prick' or 'pierce'). The term originally referred to the insertion of points in Hebrew texts and plainsong before evolving into its modern grammatical sense in the 17th century.