pointwork

From point +‎ work.

pointwork (uncountable)

1. (rail transport) The engineering of sets of points on a railway, tramway, etc.
   • 1979 August, Michael Harris, “A line for all reasons: the North Yorkshire Moors Railway”, in Railway World, page 412:

     Before long, this box will be installed nearer Grosmont (NYM) level crossing to permit control of the crossing gates (presently hand-worked) and to replace the eight-lever ground frame which currently operates the pointwork.

   • 2020 March 25, William Barter, “HS2: Euston or Old Oak Common?”, in Rail, page 58:

     And for maintenance of pointwork, a six-platform service can be operated whichever throat is under possession.

2. (ballet) Alternative form of pointework
   • 2007 December 13, Alastair Macaulay, “A Beloved Spanish Gypsy Returns to Frances Arms”, in New York Times‎:

     Though Mr. Lacotte makes certain nods to the early 19th-century ballet style of the first act of Giselle and August Bournonvilles ballets, he asks all his female dancers to do the sustained pointwork known to be late-19th-century in style.

• “pointwork”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.