A pointer or pointing stick is a solid rod used to point manually, in the form of a stick, but always finished off or artificially produced.
The typical pointer is simply a long, slender, often flexible stick made in a strong material, designed to indicate places on
maps, words on
blackboard
A blackboard (also known as a chalkboard) is a reusable writing surface on which text or drawings are made with sticks of calcium sulphate or calcium carbonate, known, when used for this purpose, as chalk. Blackboards were originally made of ...
s etc.
In addition it may be used like any ordinary stick for other purposes, e.g. for punitive
caning
Caning is a form of corporal punishment consisting of a number of hits (known as "strokes" or "cuts") with a single cane usually made of rattan, generally applied to the offender's bare or clothed buttocks (see spanking) or hands (on the pal ...
(compare
rulering).
Some are
telescopic
A telescope is an instrument designed for the observation of remote objects.
Telescope(s) also may refer to:
Music
* The Telescopes, a British psychedelic band
* ''Telescope'' (album), by Circle, 2007
* ''The Telescope'' (album), by Her Space H ...
and can be carried in a
pocket
A pocket is a bag- or envelope-like receptacle either fastened to or inserted in an article of clothing to hold small items. Pockets are also attached to luggage, backpacks, and similar items. In older usage, a pocket was a separate small bag ...
like a
pen.
See also
*
Yad
A yad (, literally "hand"; ''hant'', "hand") is a Jewish ritual pointer, popularly known as a Torah pointer, used by the reader to follow the text during the Torah reading from the parchment Torah scrolls. It is often shaped like a long rod, cap ...
– ceremonial pointer used by Jews when reading from a
Torah scroll
A ( he, סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה; "Book of Torah"; plural: ) or Torah scroll is a handwritten copy of the Torah, meaning the five books of Moses (the first books of the Hebrew Bible). The Torah scroll is mainly used in the ritual of Tor ...
.
*
fescue
''Festuca'' (fescue) is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the grass family Poaceae (subfamily Pooideae). They are evergreen or herbaceous perennial tufted grasses with a height range of and a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on e ...
– a pointer traditionally used as a pointing stick to help children learn to read.
References
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Spanking implements
Office equipment
Educational materials