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Arrow vs Pointer - What's the difference?

arrow | pointer |

As nouns the difference between arrow and pointer

is that arrow is a projectile consisting of a shaft, a point and a tail with stabilizing fins that is shot from a bow while pointer is anything that points or is used for pointing.

As a verb arrow

is to move swiftly and directly (like an arrow).

As a contraction arrow

is (obsolete).

arrow

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) (m), (m), from (etyl) earh, (m), (m), from (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • A projectile consisting of a shaft, a point and a tail with stabilizing fins that is shot from a bow.
  • *
  • Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out. Indeed, a nail filed sharp is not of much avail as an arrowhead; you must have it barbed, and that was a little beyond our skill.
  • A sign or symbol used to indicate a direction (e.g. \to).
  • (lb) A directed edge.
  • A dart.
  • Synonyms
    * (projectile) streal * (in graph theory) arc, directed edge
    Derived terms
    * arrowsmith * arrow-finger * arrowhead * arrow of time / time's arrow * arrowroot * arrowy * straight as an arrow
    See also

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To move swiftly and directly (like an arrow)
  • To let fly swiftly and directly
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012
  • , date=April 9 , author=Mandeep Sanghera , title=Tottenham 1 - 2 Norwich , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Jermain Defoe dinked in an equaliser and Gareth Bale hit the crossbar for the hosts before Elliott Bennett arrowed in Norwich's winner. }}

    Etymology 2

    Representing pronunciation.

    Contraction

    (en-cont)
  • (obsolete)
  • * 1749 , Henry Fielding, Tom Jones , Folio Society 1973, page 153:
  • though he hath lived here this many years, I don't believe there is arrow a servant in the house ever saw the colour of his money.

    pointer

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Anything that points or is used for pointing.
  • A needle-like component of a timepiece or measuring device that indicates the time or the current reading of the device.
  • A breed of hunting dog.
  • (programming) A variable that holds the address of a memory location where a value can be stored.
  • (computing) An icon that indicates the position of the mouse; a cursor.
  • A tip, a bit of advice (usually plural.)
  • The instructor gave me some pointers on writing a good paper.
  • (in combinations) Something worth a given number of points.
  • a ten-pointer
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=September 18 , author=Ben Dirs , title=Rugby World Cup 2011: England 41-10 Georgia , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=After another penalty miss, Kvirikashvili finally found the target on 27 minutes before Flood hit back with a three-pointer of his own.}}

    Synonyms

    * (sense, teacher's pointer) fescue * (of a timepiece) hand * (of a measuring device) needle * (icon) mouse pointer * (programming) reference

    See also

    * (programming) dereference, address

    Derived terms

    * null pointer * white pointer * dangling pointer

    See also

    * *

    Anagrams

    * ----