Chapter Pulverulence to Punctum of P by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

Punctuation
(Punc`tu*a"tion) n. [Cf. F. ponctuation.] (Gram.) The act or art of punctuating or pointing a writing or discourse; the art or mode of dividing literary composition into sentences, and members of a sentence, by means of points, so as to elucidate the author's meaning.

Punctuation, as the term is usually understood, is chiefly performed with four points: the period [.], the colon [:], the semicolon [;], and the comma [,]. Other points used in writing and printing, partly rhetorical and partly grammatical, are the note of interrogation [?], the note of exclamation [!], the parentheses [], the dash [—], and brackets []. It was not until the 16th century that an approach was made to the present system of punctuation by the Manutii of Venice. With Caxton, oblique strokes took the place of commas and periods.

Punctuative
(Punc"tu*a*tive) a. Of or belonging to points of division; relating to punctuation.

The punctuative intonation of feeble cadence.

Rush.

Punctuator
(Punc"tu*a`tor) n. One who punctuates, as in writing; specifically, a punctator.

Punctuist
(Punc"tu*ist), n. A punctator.

Punctulate
(Punc"tu*late Punc"tu*la`ted) a. [L. punctulum, dim. of punctum point.] Marked with small spots.

The studs have their surface punctulated, as if set all over with other studs infinitely lesser.

Woodward.

Punctum
(||Punc"tum) n. [L., a point.] A point.

||Punctum cæcum. [L., blind point.] (Anat.) Same as Blind spot, under Blind. — ||Punctum proximum, near point. See under Point. — ||Punctum remotum, far point. See under Point. — ||Punctum vegetationis[L., point of vegetation] (Bot.), the terminal cell of a stem, or of a leaf bud, from which new growth originates.