Word of the Day: Octothorp

Can you pronounce octothorp?

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Today's Word Brought to You By noun 1. Another term for the pound sign (#). Today's Word Brought to You By 12 Things Smart People Waste Money On You're smart about saving money, like shopping clearance racks, limiting eating out, and choosing affordable streaming services. However, there are still some cost-cutting tips you might not know yet. Once you discover these, you could quickly find extra cash in your pocket. Learn More "My grandfather was confused by why so many words online were preceded by an octothorpe." "Many phone systems ask for an octothorpe or a star to submit a command." "Our wedding hashtag combined the first syllables of our first names after an octothorpe." Greek, 1970s Whether it's called an "octothorpe," "pound," "hashtag," or "number" sign, the # symbol originated as the abbreviation "lb" (for the Latin "libra pondo," or "pound weight"). The handwritten "lb" often looked like a messy scrawl of four crossed lines, and an official symbol was derived from that. AT&T added the symbol, along with the asterisk (*), to its touch-tone telephone in 1968 in order to make the keypad square. ... Continue Reading Do you remember these words? Thank you for supporting our advertisers.

Our revenue can come from sponsors which means some of the affiliate links you click on may generate us revenue.

To unsubscribe from future emails, click here. (We'll miss you!) Privacy Policy  •  Terms of Use  •  Contact Us

3419 Via Lido, #657 Newport Beach, CA 92663 Advertisements powered by LiveIntent • AdChoices