What's the meaning of the Asterisk »

Asterisk

This page is about the meaning, origin and characteristic of the symbol, emblem, seal, sign, logo or flag: Asterisk.

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An asterisk (*; Late Latin: asteriscus, from Greek: ἀστερίσκος, asteriskos, "little star") is a typographical symbol or glyph. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star.

The asterisk is derived from the need of the printers of family trees in feudal times for a symbol to indicate date of birth. The original shape was seven-armed, each arm like a teardrop shooting from the center.

In computer science, the asterisk is commonly used as a wildcard character, or to denote pointers, repetition, or multiplication.

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Graphical characteristics:
Asymmetric, Open shape, Monochrome, Contains curved lines, Has no crossing lines.

Category: Language Symbols.

Asterisk is part of the Punctuation group.

More symbols in Punctuation:

Punctuation marks are symbols that indicate the structure and organization of written language, as well as intonation and pauses to be observed when reading aloud. In written English, punctuation is… read more »

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    "Asterisk." Symbols.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <https://www.symbols.com/symbol/asterisk>.

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