Pontil

Origin

French pontil, from Italian pontello or puntello, dim. of punto, from Latin punctum ("a point")

Alternative forms

• puntil, puntel, pontil rod
• punty, punte, ponty, pontee

Full definition of pontil

Noun

1. (glassblowing) A punty; a metal rod used in the glassblowing process. After a glass vessel has been blown to approximate size and the bottom of the piece has been finalized, the rod, which is tipped with a wad of hot glass, is attached to the bottom of the vessel to hold it while the top is finalized. It often leaves an irregular or ring-shaped scar on the base when removed called the "pontil mark".

Synonyms

• fascet