What are pointers?

Let's follow this simplified explanation: We understand that variables occupy memory locations (1 or more bytes) of a computer's memory. Each variable requires enough (at least) bytes to store the values the variable will (ever) need to hold. For example, on typical desktop and laptop computers a simple C integer will require 4 bytes of memory. However a bool value, only requiring 1-bit, will typically occupy 1 byte. Similarly, an array of 100 integers, will require 400 bytes of contiguous memory - there is no padding between elements. Computers have a large amount of memory, e.g. our lab computers have 16 gigabytes of memory (16GB), or nearly 17.1 billion bytes. Each of a computer's memory bytes is uniquely numbered, from 0 to some large value. Each such number is termed the byte's memory address. We often refer to memory locations as just addresses and the action of identifying an address as addressing.

1. Pointers are variables that hold the address of a memory location.
2. Pointers are variables that point to memory locations.
3. Pointers (usually) point to memory locations being used to hold variables' values/contents.