pinpoint

plural pinpoints · alternative pin-point

1. The point of a pin.
2. Something infinitesimal; a tiny point.

   What was once an astonishing, one-off discovery in 2005 may prove to be just a pinpoint in a global distribution of animals of which we previously knew nothing.

   2012, Caspar Henderson, The Book of Barely Imagined Beings, page 364

comparative more pinpoint · superlative most pinpoint · alternative pin-point

1. Extremely precise or specific, especially regarding location.

   The machine assembles parts at high speed and with pinpoint accuracy.

   1 more example

   The 28-year-old not only hassled the visitors' midfield but also delivered pinpoint balls with alarming accuracy as far as the east Londoners were concerned.

   2011 January 5, Saj Chowdhury, “Newcastle 0 - 0 West Ham”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 19 Mar 2011

present singular third person pinpoints · participle present pinpointing · participle past pinpointed · past pinpointed · alternative pin-point

1. transitiveTo identify or locate (someone or something) precisely or with great accuracy.

   The investigators tried to pinpoint the source of the flames.

   2 more examples

   It would defeat the purpose of secret surveillance if individuals were able to pinpoint exactly when the police were likely to be listening in on their conversations and adapt their behaviour accordingly, and the [European] Court [of Human Rights] has not interpreted Article 8 to require that this information should be provided to individuals, either before, during, or after they have been the subject of surveillance measures.

   2017 July 11, Bernadette Rainey, Elizabeth Wicks, Clare Ovey, Jacobs, White, and Ovey. The European Convention on Human Rights, Oxford: Oxford University Press, page 411

   New Orleans native Jazlin Armstrong can pinpoint exactly how she knew she belonged in the restaurant industry: she’s had a love of mealtime ever since she was a little girl watching her grandmother cook Creole cuisine.

   2022 April 14, Adriana Lopez, “At Commander’s Palace, This Maitre D’ Ushers in a New Era of Fine-Dining Hospitality”, in Eater New Orleans, archived from the original on 10 Nov 2022