Pontos

Pontos is the plural form of ponto, a common noun in Portuguese with several related meanings. The word appears in mathematics, measurement, writing, textiles, and everyday speech, with context determining its exact sense.

In mathematics and geometry, pontos denotes points, the basic objects that specify positions in space. A ponto has no size, but a collection of pontos defines lines, curves, shapes, or coordinates in a diagram.

In typography and printing, ponto is a unit of measure. The term pontos (pt) is used to indicate font size, leading, and other dimensions. A standard PostScript point equals 1/72 of an inch, though some contexts use slightly different subunits.

In punctuation, ponto refers to marks that end or separate sentences, such as ponto final (period/full stop). The plural pontos finais or simply pontos are used when discussing punctuation marks collectively.

In sewing and textiles, pontos are stitches. Common types include ponto corrido (running stitch), ponto cruz (cross-stitch), and outros pontos used to join fabric or decorate embroidery.

In everyday language, pontos are used to count scores or points in games, contests, or arguments. For example, alguém ganhou pontos com uma boa apresentação.

The term’s meaning is highly context-dependent, and the plural form pontos simply signals multiple instances of the corresponding sense of ponto. When translating or interpreting, it is important to consider the surrounding words to determine whether pontos denotes places, units, marks, or stitches.