The archaeological term "point" has a broad meaning and in foreign countries, it is generally used to refer to sharp-pointed stone tools; in Japan, however, the term for "point" (sentoki) is not used to refer to stone tools with one edge blunted by the removal of tiny flakes (these are instead called 'knife-like stone tools').
尖頭器は、諸外国では広い意味をもち、先端が鋭く尖った石器の総称として用いられるのに対し、日本では刃潰し剥離によって仕上げられた石器については「ナイフ形石器」と呼んで、尖頭器とは区別する。