Pœnology. See Penology.

Poephagous, pō-ef′a-gus, adj. eating grass.

Poesy, pō′e-si, n. the art of composing poems: poetry: a poem: poetical compositions. [Fr. poésie—L. poesis—Gr. poiēsispoiein, to make.]

Poet, pō′et, n. the author of a poem: one skilled in making poetry: one with a strong imagination:—fem. Pō′etess.—ns. Pō′etaster, a petty poet: a writer of contemptible verses; Pō′etastry.—adjs. Poet′ic, -al, pertaining or suitable to a poet or to poetry: expressed in poetry: marked by poetic language: imaginative.—adv. Poet′ically, in a poetic manner.—n.sing. Poet′ics, the branch of criticism which relates to poetry.—n. Poet′icule, a petty poet.—v.i. Pō′etise, to write as a poet: to make verses.—ns. Pō′et-lau′reate (see Laureate); Pō′etress (Spens.), a poetess; Pō′etry, the art of expressing in melodious words the thoughts which are the creations of feeling and imagination: utterance in song: metrical composition.—Poetic justice, ideal administration of reward and punishment; Poetic license, a departing from strict fact or rule by a poet for the sake of effect. [Fr. poète—L. poeta—Gr. poiētēspoiein, to make.]

Pogge, pog, n. the armed bullhead.

Poh, pō, interj. exclamation of contempt.

Poignant, poin′ant, adj. stinging, pricking: sharp: penetrating: acutely painful: satirical: pungent.—n. Poign′ancy, state of being poignant.—adv. Poign′antly. [O. Fr. poignant, poindre—L. pungĕre, to sting.]

Poind, poind, v.t. (Scot.) to seize.—n. Poind′ing (Scots law), the seizing and selling of a debtor's goods under process of law, or under the warrant of a heritable security. [Pound.]

Point, point, n. anything coming to a sharp end: the mark made by a sharp instrument: (geom.) that which has position but not length, breadth, or thickness: a mark showing the divisions of a sentence: (mus.) a dot at the right hand of a note to lengthen it by one-half: needle-point lace: a very small space: a moment of time: a small affair: a single thing: a single assertion: the precise thing to be considered: anything intended: exact place: degree: the unit of count in a game: (print.) a unit of measurement for type-bodies: an advantage: that which stings, as the point of an epigram: an imaginary relish, in 'potatoes and point:' a lively turn of thought: that which awakens attention: a peculiarity, characteristic: (cricket) the fielder standing at the immediate right of the batsman, and slightly in advance: a signal given by a trumpet: (pl.) chief or excellent features, as of a horse, &c.: the switch or movable rails which allow a train to pass from one line to another.—v.t. to give a point to: to sharpen: to aim: to direct one's attention: to punctuate, as a sentence: to fill the joints of with mortar, as a wall.—v.i. to direct the finger, the eye, or the mind towards an object: to show game by looking, as a dog.—adj. Point′ed, having a sharp point: sharp: intended for some particular person: personal: keen: telling: (archit.) having sharply-pointed arches, Gothic.—adv. Point′edly.—ns. Point′edness; Point′er, that which points: a dog trained to point out game; Point′ing, the act of sharpening: the marking of divisions in writing by points or marks: act of filling the crevices of a wall with mortar; Point′ing-stock, a thing to be pointed at, a laughing-stock; Point′-lace, a fine kind of lace wrought with the needle.—adj. Point′less, having no point: blunt: dull: wanting keenness or smartness; Points′man, a man who has charge of the points or switches on a railway; Point′-sys′tem, a standard system of sizes for type-bodies, one point being .0138 inch.—Point for point, exactly: all particulars; Point of order, a question raised in a deliberative society as to whether proceedings are according to the rules; Point of view, the position from which one looks at anything; Point out (B.), to assign; Points of the compass, the points north, south, east, and west, along with the twenty-eight smaller divisions, marked on the card of the mariner's compass.—At all points, completely; At, or On, the point of, just about to; Cardinal point (see Cardinal); Carry one's point, to gain what one contends for in controversy; From point to point, from one particular to another; Give points to, to give odds to: to give an advantageous hint on any subject; In point, apposite; In point of, with regard to; Make a point of, to attach special importance to; Stand upon points, to be over-scrupulous; Strain a point, to go beyond proper limits; To the point, appropriate. [O. Fr.,—L. punctumpungĕre, to prick.]

Point-blank, point′-blangk′, adj. aimed directly at the mark: direct.—adv. directly.—Point-blank shot, a shot fired in a horizontal line towards an object. [Fr. point-blanc, white point.]