octothorpe

/ˈɑktoʊθɔrp/

Other forms: octothorpes

An octothorpe is a symbol that's also known as a number sign or pound sign. When you're jotting down your phone number for a new acquaintance, you might include an octothorpe.

Another name for an octothorpe is a hashtag — or you can just use the # symbol itself. While most experts believe octothorpe was coined in the 1960s by telephone workers or engineers, there's no agreement on who exactly gets the credit for coming up with the word, or where thorpe comes from. The octo-, "eight" in Latin, refers to the eight points (or ends) of the lines that make up the symbol.

Definitions of octothorpe

1. noun

   the (#) symbol
   synonyms: hashtag, pound sign