pound sign

pound 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.

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  • pound sign — pound′ sign n. 1) cvb num a symbol (£) for “pound” or “pounds” as a monetary unit of the United Kingdom 2) cvb a symbol (#) for “pound” or “pounds” as a unit of weight Compare number sign space mark 3) a symbol (#) used for various purposes •… …   From formal English to slang

  • pound sign — n 1.) BrE the ↑symbol (£), used for a pound in British money 2.) AmE the ↑symbol (#), used especially on a telephone British Equivalent: hash …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • pound sign — pound ,sign noun count 1. ) AMERICAN the symbol # 2. ) the symbol £ …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • pound sign — n. a symbol (#) on a button on a touch tone telephone keypad …   English World dictionary

  • Pound sign — seealso|Pound (currency).The pound sign ( £ or ₤ ) is the symbol for the pound sterling the currency of the United Kingdom (UK). The same symbol is (or was) used for currencies of the same name in some other countries and territories; there are… …   Wikipedia

  • Pound sign — Ever wondered why Brits flounder when voicemail messages say to press the pound sign? What on earth is the British currency doing on a phone anyway? Well, it isn t. To a Brit, the pound sign is the wiggly thing we use to denote the UK pound… …   The American's guide to speaking British

  • pound sign — ● ►en loc. m. ►CHAR Version anglaise du nom du fagot, i.e. le caractère # . Adrian Chandler me signale: Pound sign signifie symbole de la livre (sterling) . C est le caractère £ (ANSI 0163). Étant donné que ce symbole est utile pour les anglais… …   Dictionnaire d'informatique francophone

  • pound sign — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms pound sign : singular pound sign plural pound signs 1) the symbol £ 2) American a hash (#) …   English dictionary

  • pound sign — noun a) The symbol £ representing the pound sterling. b) The symbol on a telephone. <!Note: pound sign is not a name for lb, as this is an abbreviation rather than a symbol Syn: hash, hash sign, number sign, octothorpe …   Wiktionary

  • pound sign — 1. a symbol (£) for pound or pounds as a monetary unit of the United Kingdom. 2. a symbol (#) for pound or pounds as a unit of weight or mass: 20# bond paper stock. 3. the symbol (#) used for various purposes. Cf. hash mark, number sign, space… …   Universalium

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