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Point-blank

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Direct. A term in gunnery; when a cannon is so placed that the line of sight is parallel to the axis and horizontal, the discharge is point-blank, and is supposed to go direct to the object without a curve. In French point blanc is the white mark or bull’s eye of a target, to hit which the ball or arrow must not deviate in the least from the exact path.

“Now art thou within point-blank of our jurisdiction regal.”—Shakespeare: 2 Henry VI., iv. 7.

 

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Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.

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Poets Corner (The)
Poets Laureate
Poetaster
Poetical
Poetical Justice
Poetry on the Greek Model
Pogram
Poille
Poins
Point
Point-blank
Point dAppui (French)
Point de Judas (French)
Point-devise
Points
Points of the Escutcheon
Poison
Poison Detectors
Poison of Khaïbar
Poisoners (Secret)
Poisson dAvril