number sign

number sign
octothorp oc"to*thorp, octothorpe oc"to*thorpe, n. [octo- eight + thorp Etymology of thorp uncertain. (ca. 1965). See quote below. Possibly derived from octalthorpe or octotherp (once used by the Bell System?).] A typographic symbol (#) having two vertical lines intersected by two horizontal lines. It is also called the {crosshatch}, {hash}, {numeral sign} and {number sign}; in the U. S. it is commonly called the {pound sign}, especially to designate the symbol as used on digital telephone dials, but this can be confusing to Europeans who think of the pound sign as the symbol for the British pound. It is commonly used as a symbol for the word number; as in #36 (meaning: number thirty-six). [PJC]

octothorp Otherwise known as the numeral sign. It has also been used as a symbol for the pound avoirdupois, but this usage is now archaic. In cartography, it is also a symbol for village: eight fields around a central square, and this is the source of its name. Octothorp means eight fields. --Robert Bringhurst (The Elements of Typographic Style (2d edition, 1996), Hartley & Marks, Publishers, Point Roberts, WA; Vancouver, BC, Canada, p. 282) [Joel Neely]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Number sign — Not to be confused with the Chinese character 井, or the Sharp sign ♯. # Number sign …   Wikipedia

  • number sign — skaičiaus ženklas statusas T sritis automatika atitikmenys: angl. number sign vok. Zahlenvorzeichen, n rus. знак числа, m pranc. signe de nombre, m …   Automatikos terminų žodynas

  • number sign — grotelės statusas T sritis informatika apibrėžtis Ženklas #. Kodai: 35 (ASCII dešimtainis), U+0023. JAV vartojamas numeriui žymėti. Daugelyje kalbų ir valstybių neturi numerio prasmės ir kartais vartojamas įvairiems kitiems tikslams, nes tokį… …   Enciklopedinis kompiuterijos žodynas

  • number sign — numerio ženklas statusas T sritis informatika apibrėžtis Ženklas numeriui žymėti. Turi kai kurios kalbos: rusų № (U+2116), anglų # (U+0023). Lietuvių kalba specialaus numerio ženklo neturi. Numeris žymimas santrumpa Nr. Verčiant programinę įrangą …   Enciklopedinis kompiuterijos žodynas

  • number sign — skaičiaus ženklas statusas T sritis informatika apibrėžtis Pliuso arba minuso ženklas, parašytas prieš skaičių ir suteikiantis tam skaičiui teigiamą arba neigiamą reikšmę. Prieš teigiamus skaičius pliuso ženklo galima nerašyti. atitikmenys: angl …   Enciklopedinis kompiuterijos žodynas

  • number sign — noun : a sign # (as in #2 pencil and apartment #32) used before a numeral to denote number * * * a symbol (#) for number or numbered : item #8 on the list. Cf. hash mark, pound sign, space mark. * * * noun, pl ⋯ signs [count] US : ↑pound, 3 …   Useful english dictionary

  • number sign — noun The character used to represent the word number; the hash sign; also called the pound sign in the US …   Wiktionary

  • number sign — a symbol (#) for number or numbered : item #8 on the list. Cf. hash mark, pound sign, space mark. * * * …   Universalium

  • number sign — num′ber sign n. cvb pri a symbol (#) for “number” or “numbered” …   From formal English to slang

  • Number — For other uses, see Numbers (disambiguation). A number is a mathematical object used to count and measure. In mathematics, the definition of number has been extended over the years to include such numbers as zero, negative numbers, rational… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”