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To play at basset, baccara, faro. or omber; to gamble. She heard . . . of his punting at gaming tables. Thackeray.

A punt made from the goal line by a player of the side which has made a touchdown to one of his own side for a fair catch, from which an attempt to kick a goal may be made.

One of the points sometimes drilled as guides for cutting away superfluous stone.

One who punts; specifically, one who plays against the banker or dealer, as in baccara and faro. Hoyle.

See Pontee.

A point or hit. Punto diritto Etym: [It.], a direct stroke or hit. -- Punto reverso Etym: [It. riverso reverse], a backhanded stroke. Halliwell. "Ah, the immortal passado! the punto reverso!" Shak.

See Pontee.

Pertaining to, or according to the rules of, counterpoint.

One skilled in counterpoint. L. Mason.

A genus of cactaceous plants; the prickly pear, or Indian fig.

A French game of cards, played by a banker and punters.

ct native in Mexico, Central America, etc., and found on several species of cactus, esp. Opuntia cochinellifera.

rust into the mouths of bottles, and used for the same purpose; -- calles also pontee and punty.

polyphonic composition, developed from a given theme or themes, according to strict contrapuntal rules. The theme is first given out by one voice or part, and then, while that pursues its way, it is repeated by another at the interval of a fifth or fourth, and so on, until all the parts have answered one by one, contin…

our) distinct vocal parts. "A part song differs from a madrigal in its exclusion of contrapuntual devices; from a glee, in its being sung by many voices, instead of by one only, to each part." Stainer & Barrett.

To make, as a thrust, punto, etc. Shak. Passed midshipman. See under Midshipman. -- To pass a dividend, to omit the declaration and payment of a dividend at the time when due. -- To pass away, to spend; to waste. "Lest she pass away the flower of her age." Ecclus. xlii. 9. -- To pass by. (a) To disregard; to neglect…

A West Indian name for the prickly pear (Opuntia); -- called also pimploes.

or melodic parts, progressing simultaneously according to the laws of counterpoint; contrapuntal; as, a polyphonic composition; -- opposed to homophonic, or monodic.

A master of polyphony; a contrapuntist.

ion in mutually related, equally important parts which share the melody among them; contrapuntal composition; -- opposed to homophony, in which the melody is given to one part only, the others filling out the harmony. See Counterpoint.