juncture

noun

1. A place where things join, a junction.
2. A critical moment in time.

   “We're at a crucial juncture in our relationship.”

   “What a mercy you are shod with velvet, Jane! a clodhopping messenger would never do at this juncture.”

   “The object is to keep the yard operators apprised of main-line movements, so that they do not plan to occupy the main lines with activity into or out of the yard at an inopportune juncture.”

3. The manner of moving (transition) or mode of relationship between two consecutive sounds; a suprasegmental phonemic cue, by which a listener can distinguish between two otherwise identical sequences of sounds that have different meanings.