hash symbol

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "hash symbol" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to refer to the "#" character, especially in contexts related to social media, programming, or mathematics. Example: "To find the topic you are interested in, search for the hash symbol followed by the keyword on Twitter."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

47 human-written examples

The process described in this column to obtain a hash symbol on an Apple keyboard applies to British keyboards.

The New York Times - Arts

On U.S. Apple keyboards, the hash symbol is generated by holding the shift key and pressing 3.

The New York Times - Arts

The hash symbol should be directly in front of all the words you want to include in the hashtag, with no spaces between the # or words.

The New York Times

Linguistic purists have noted that "dièse" is, in fact, a musical term meaning "sharp symbol" and that the word "croisillon," which means "hash symbol," might have been a better choice.

The New York Times

There is a good reason why, Klemsin explains: "For some, 'pound' means the hash symbol, for others it is the pound sterling symbol, and others refer to the hash/pound symbol as the 'number sign'.

The Guardian - Tech

Although there do not seem to be any particular rules for what keywords you can use in a hashtag — or where you can insert one into the text of a post — you do have to put the hash symbol itself in the correct place to have it work as intended.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

13 human-written examples

So the hash symbols satisfy (12).

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

We characterize next the Markov chain of the hash symbols.

EURASIP Journal on Information Security

The differences are additional calculations for hash symbols in Step 1 and verifications for hash symbols in Step 3. The time complexity of these two operations is.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

The adversary only modifies the data symbols and keeps the hash symbols unchanged.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

The initial hash symbols were drawn from the equilibrium (uniform) distribution.

EURASIP Journal on Information Security

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to the "hash symbol" in technical documentation or code comments, ensure clarity by specifying its Unicode representation (U+0023) to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid interchanging the "hash symbol" with similar-looking symbols like the pound sterling (£) or sharp (♯). Always double-check the symbol's shape and context to ensure accuracy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hash symbol" functions primarily as a noun phrase, acting as a label for the '#' character. Ludwig AI indicates that it's used to identify or name the symbol.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

42%

News & Media

42%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "hash symbol" is a noun phrase used to refer to the '#' character, often called "number sign" or "pound sign". According to Ludwig AI, it's grammatically correct and serves to denote a specific character across various contexts, including science, news and media. While versatile, it's important to avoid confusing it with other symbols. Knowing its context-specific alternatives and technical nuances will allow the writers to be more precise. The frequency of the expression is uncommon.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

# symbol

Uses the actual symbol instead of the name.

the symbol '#'

Uses the term symbol with the actual representation

number sign

Replaces "hash symbol" with a more general term for the symbol.

the '#' character

Describes the symbol as a character.

pound sign

Uses an alternative name for the same symbol.

hashtag symbol

Specifies the symbol's use in hashtags.

octothorpe

Provides a less common, technical name for the symbol.

crosshatch symbol

Uses a geometric description, suitable in technical contexts.

grid symbol

Another geometric description, similar to crosshatch.

the dièse symbol

Uses the french term, useful in specific contexts.

FAQs

How to use "hash symbol" in a sentence?

You can use "hash symbol" to refer to the '#' character, especially in contexts related to social media or programming. For example: "Use the "hash symbol" to create a hashtag on social media."

What is another name for "hash symbol"?

Other names for the "hash symbol" include "number sign", "pound sign", and "octothorpe".

Which is correct, "hash symbol" or "hashtag symbol"?

Both "hash symbol" and "hashtag symbol" are correct, but "hashtag symbol" specifically refers to its use in creating hashtags on social media.

What's the difference between "hash symbol" and "pound sign"?

While "hash symbol" and "pound sign" often refer to the same character '#', "pound sign" can also refer to the British currency symbol '£'. Context is crucial to determine the intended meaning.