punctuation

== English == === Etymology === Borrowed from Medieval Latin punctuātiō (“a marking with points, a writing, agreement”), from punctuō (“to mark with points, settle”). Morphologically, punctuate +‎ -ion. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˌpʌŋk.t͡ʃuˈeɪ.ʃən/ Rhymes: -eɪʃən === Noun === punctuation (countable and uncountable, plural punctuations) A set of symbols and marks which are used to clarify meaning in text by separating strings of words into clauses, phrases and sentences; examples include commas, hyphens, and stops (periods). Nikud An act of punctuating. ==== Meronyms ==== see an extensive list of such marks at Thesaurus:punctuation mark ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== point punctilious punctuate punctual punctuality Punctuation ==== Translations ==== ==== Further reading ==== “punctuation”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “punctuation”, in The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia: […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.