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Octothorpe: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Octothorpe noun. The # symbol, also called the hash or pound sign.
How to say it
OK-tuh-thorp/ˈɒktəθɔːp/
3 syllables, stressed on the first (OK).
Octothorpe in a sentence
Press the octothorpe key when you've finished entering your number.
Before hashtags, hardly anyone knew the octothorpe had a proper name.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- hash
- hash sign
- pound sign
Where octothorpe comes from
Coined at Bell Labs in the early 1960s from octo-, eight, for its eight points; where the -thorpe came from is disputed.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Before hashtags, hardly anyone knew the _____ had a proper name.
- muntin
- octothorpe
- lemniscate
Show the answer
octothorpe: Before hashtags, hardly anyone knew the octothorpe had a proper name.