An "octothorpe"?

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Someone told me that the symbol "#" is called an "Octothorpe". is this true, and if so, why?

Also, what applications are there for an octothorpe other than "No." and to provide subject matter for daft Q's\?

2006-11-01 02:25:41 · 2 answers · asked by Vernix Lanugo 3 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay

2 answers

It's because it has eight 'legs'. However most people call it a hash, a sharp or (in the US, for some reason) a pound.

It's used quite a lot in various computer programming languages, often to denote the start of a comment. It's also used to access extra features on phone systems.

2006-11-01 02:35:34 · answer #1 · answered by Daniel R 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋

(mainly US) A name for the hash or square symbol (#), used mainly in telephony and computing

2006-11-01 23:36:14 · answer #2 · answered by catdyer2005 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋