资料来源 : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Vowel \Vow"el\, n. [F. voyelle, or an OF. form without y, L.
   vocalis (sc. littera), from vocalis sounding, from vox,
   vocis, a voice, sound. See {Vocal}.] (Phon.)
   A vocal, or sometimes a whispered, sound modified by
   resonance in the oral passage, the peculiar resonance in each
   case giving to each several vowel its distinctive character
   or quality as a sound of speech; -- distinguished from a
   {consonant} in that the latter, whether made with or without
   vocality, derives its character in every case from some kind
   of obstructive action by the mouth organs. Also, a letter or
   character which represents such a sound. See Guide to
   Pronunciation, [sect][sect] 5, 146-149.

   Note: In the English language, the written vowels are a, e,
         i, o, u, and sometimes w and y. The spoken vowels are
         much more numerous.

   {Close vowel}. See under {Close}, a.

   {Vowel point}. See under {Point}, n.

Point \Point\, n. [F. point, and probably also pointe, L.
   punctum, puncta, fr. pungere, punctum, to prick. See
   {Pungent}, and cf. {Puncto}, {Puncture}.]
   1. That which pricks or pierces; the sharp end of anything,
      esp. the sharp end of a piercing instrument, as a needle
      or a pin.

   2. An instrument which pricks or pierces, as a sort of needle
      used by engravers, etchers, lace workers, and others;
      also, a pointed cutting tool, as a stone cutter's point;
      -- called also {pointer}.

   3. Anything which tapers to a sharp, well-defined
      termination. Specifically: A small promontory or cape; a
      tract of land extending into the water beyond the common
      shore line.

   4. The mark made by the end of a sharp, piercing instrument,
      as a needle; a prick.

   5. An indefinitely small space; a mere spot indicated or
      supposed. Specifically: (Geom.) That which has neither
      parts nor magnitude; that which has position, but has
      neither length, breadth, nor thickness, -- sometimes
      conceived of as the limit of a line; that by the motion of
      which a line is conceived to be produced.

   6. An indivisible portion of time; a moment; an instant;
      hence, the verge.

            When time's first point begun Made he all souls.
                                                  --Sir J.
                                                  Davies.

   7. A mark of punctuation; a character used to mark the
      divisions of a composition, or the pauses to be observed
      in reading, or to point off groups of figures, etc.; a
      stop, as a comma, a semicolon, and esp. a period; hence,
      figuratively, an end, or conclusion.

            And there a point, for ended is my tale. --Chaucer.

            Commas and points they set exactly right. --Pope.

   8. Whatever serves to mark progress, rank, or relative
      position, or to indicate a transition from one state or
      position to another, degree; step; stage; hence, position
      or condition attained; as, a point of elevation, or of
      depression; the stock fell off five points; he won by
      tenpoints. ``A point of precedence.'' --Selden. ``Creeping
      on from point to point.'' --Tennyson.

            A lord full fat and in good point.    --Chaucer.

   9. That which arrests attention, or indicates qualities or
      character; a salient feature; a characteristic; a
      peculiarity; hence, a particular; an item; a detail; as,
      the good or bad points of a man, a horse, a book, a story,
      etc.

            He told him, point for point, in short and plain.
                                                  --Chaucer.

            In point of religion and in point of honor. --Bacon.

            Shalt thou dispute With Him the points of liberty ?
                                                  --Milton.

   10. Hence, the most prominent or important feature, as of an
       argument, discourse, etc.; the essential matter; esp.,
       the proposition to be established; as, the point of an
       anecdote. ``Here lies the point.'' --Shak.

             They will hardly prove his point.    --Arbuthnot.

   11. A small matter; a trifle; a least consideration; a
       punctilio.

             This fellow doth not stand upon points. --Shak.

             [He] cared not for God or man a point. --Spenser.

   12. (Mus.) A dot or mark used to designate certain tones or
       time; as:
       (a) (Anc. Mus.) A dot or mark distinguishing or
           characterizing certain tones or styles; as, points of
           perfection, of augmentation, etc.; hence, a note; a
           tune. ``Sound the trumpet -- not a levant, or a
           flourish, but a point of war.'' --Sir W. Scott.
       (b) (Mod. Mus.) A dot placed at the right hand of a note,
           to raise its value, or prolong its time, by one half,
           as to make a whole note equal to three half notes, a
           half note equal to three quarter notes.

   13. (Astron.) A fixed conventional place for reference, or
       zero of reckoning, in the heavens, usually the
       intersection of two or more great circles of the sphere,
       and named specifically in each case according to the
       position intended; as, the equinoctial points; the
       solstitial points; the nodal points; vertical points,
       etc. See {Equinoctial Nodal}.

   14. (Her.) One of the several different parts of the
       escutcheon. See {Escutcheon}.

   15. (Naut.)
       (a) One of the points of the compass (see {Points of the
           compass}, below); also, the difference between two
           points of the compass; as, to fall off a point.
       (b) A short piece of cordage used in reefing sails. See
           {Reef point}, under {Reef}.

   16. (Anc. Costume) A a string or lace used to tie together
       certain parts of the dress. --Sir W. Scott.

   17. Lace wrought the needle; as, point de Venise; Brussels
       point. See Point lace, below.

   18. pl. (Railways) A switch. [Eng.]

   19. An item of private information; a hint; a tip; a pointer.
       [Cant, U. S.]

   20. (Cricket) A fielder who is stationed on the off side,
       about twelve or fifteen yards from, and a little in
       advance of, the batsman.

   21. The attitude assumed by a pointer dog when he finds game;
       as, the dog came to a point. See {Pointer}.

   22. (Type Making) A standard unit of measure for the size of
       type bodies, being one twelfth of the thickness of pica
       type. See {Point system of type}, under {Type}.

   23. A tyne or snag of an antler.

   24. One of the spaces on a backgammon board.

   25. (Fencing) A movement executed with the saber or foil; as,
       tierce point.

   Note: The word point is a general term, much used in the
         sciences, particularly in mathematics, mechanics,
         perspective, and physics, but generally either in the
         geometrical sense, or in that of degree, or condition
         of change, and with some accompanying descriptive or
         qualifying term, under which, in the vocabulary, the
         specific uses are explained; as, boiling point, carbon
         point, dry point, freezing point, melting point,
         vanishing point, etc.

   {At all points}, in every particular, completely; perfectly.
      --Shak.

   {At point}, {In point}, {At}, {In}, or On, {the point}, as
      near as can be; on the verge; about (see {About}, prep.,
      6); as, at the point of death; he was on the point of
      speaking. ``In point to fall down.'' --Chaucer. ``Caius
      Sidius Geta, at point to have been taken, recovered
      himself so valiantly as brought day on his side.''
      --Milton.

   {Dead point}. (Mach.) Same as {Dead center}, under {Dead}.

   {Far point} (Med.), in ophthalmology, the farthest point at
      which objects are seen distinctly. In normal eyes the
      nearest point at which objects are seen distinctly; either
      with the two eyes together (binocular near point), or with
      each eye separately (monocular near point).

   {Nine points of the law}, all but the tenth point; the
      greater weight of authority.

   {On the point}. See {At point}, above.

   {Point lace}, lace wrought with the needle, as distinguished
      from that made on the pillow.

   {Point net}, a machine-made lace imitating a kind of Brussels
      lace (Brussels ground).

   {Point of concurrence} (Geom.), a point common to two lines,
      but not a point of tangency or of intersection, as, for
      instance, that in which a cycloid meets its base.

   {Point of contrary flexure}, a point at which a curve changes
      its direction of curvature, or at which its convexity and
      concavity change sides.

   {Point of order}, in parliamentary practice, a question of
      order or propriety under the rules.

   {Point of sight} (Persp.), in a perspective drawing, the
      point assumed as that occupied by the eye of the
      spectator.

   {Point of view}, the relative position from which anything is
      seen or any subject is considered.

   {Points of the compass} (Naut.), the thirty-two points of
      division of the compass card in the mariner's compass; the
      corresponding points by which the circle of the horizon is
      supposed to be divided, of which the four marking the
      directions of east, west, north, and south, are called
      cardinal points, and the rest are named from their
      respective directions, as N. by E., N. N. E., N. E. by N.,
      N. E., etc. See Illust. under {Compass}.

   {Point paper}, paper pricked through so as to form a stencil
      for transferring a design.

   {Point system of type}. See under {Type}.

   {Singular point} (Geom.), a point of a curve which possesses
      some property not possessed by points in general on the
      curve, as a cusp, a point of inflection, a node, etc.

   {To carry one's point}, to accomplish one's object, as in a
      controversy.

   {To make a point of}, to attach special importance to.

   {To make}, or {gain}, {a point}, accomplish that which was
      proposed; also, to make advance by a step, grade, or
      position.

   {To mark}, or {score}, {a point}, as in billiards, cricket,
      etc., to note down, or to make, a successful hit, run,
      etc.

   {To strain a point}, to go beyond the proper limit or rule;
      to stretch one's authority or conscience.

   {Vowel point}, in Hebrew, and certain other Eastern and
      ancient languages, a mark placed above or below the
      consonant, or attached to it, representing the vowel, or
      vocal sound, which precedes or follows the consonant.

资料来源 : WordNet®

vowel point
     n : a mark placed below or near a consonant (as in Hebrew or
         Arabic) to indicate the spoken vowel