octothorpe

octothorpe
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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  • octothorpe — noun /ˈɒktəʊθɔːp,ˈɑːktoʊθɔːrp/ a) A name for the hash or square symbol (), used mainly in telephony and computing Octothorp is the b) on a push button telephone. Rumor at the telephone company is that a man named Charles B. Octothorp, wanting to… …   Wiktionary

  • octothorpe — or octothorp noun Etymology: octo + thorp, of unknown origin; from the eight points on its circumference Date: 1971 the symbol # …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Octothorpe — Croisillon Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. # Ponctuation Accolades ( { } ) · Parenthèses ( ( ) )  Chevrons ( <& …   Wikipédia en Français

  • octothorpe — oc·to·thorpe (ŏkʹtə thôrp ) n. The symbol (#).   [Alteration (influenced by octo ), of earlier octalthorpe, the pound key probably humorous blend of octal, an eight point pin used in electronic connections (from the eight points of the symbol),… …   Universalium

  • octothorpe — oc·to·thorpe …   English syllables

  • octothorpe — the symbol on telephone pads or as a number symbol …   Grandiloquent dictionary

  • octothorpe — /ˈɒktoʊθɔp/ (say oktohthawp) noun the hash sign. See hash3 (def. 1). {? coined by Don MacPherson, a Bell Laboratories employee, from octo for the eight points + thorpe for Jim Thorpe, an American athlete} …  

  • octothorpe — …   Useful english dictionary

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

  • crosshatch — 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 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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