Glossary Term Definition
The basic unit of typographic measurement, equal to approximately 1/72 of an inch in the PostScript system.
Definition
The point is the fundamental unit of measurement in typography. In the PostScript point system now standard in digital typography, one point equals exactly 1/72 of an inch (0.3528 mm). The traditional printer's point, established by Fournier and later revised by Didot, differs slightly. Points are used to specify type size, leading, and other vertical dimensions. Twelve points equal one pica.
Source
No access — Robert Bringhurst — p. 343:
The basic unit of typographic measurement. There are twelve points in a pica and approximately seventy-two points per inch.