obelus
English
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obelus
- /ˈɒbɪləs/ UK
- /ˈɒbləs/ UK
- /ˈɑbələs/ US
- /ˈɒbɪlaɪ/ UK
- /ˈɑbəˌlaɪ/ US
Where it comes from
From Middle English obelus, obelo, from Old English obelus, from Late Latin obelus (“critical mark”), from Koine Greek ὀβελός (obelós, “critical mark”), Ancient Greek ὀβελός (obelós, “rod, spit; obelisk; critical mark”). The further etymology is uncertain; a derivation from βέλος (bélos, “arrow, dart, missile”) (from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- (“to pierce; to reach; to throw; to hit by throwing”)) has been suggested, but the initial vowel remains unexplained. Compare obelisk.
The plural form obeli is derived from Late Latin obeli, from Ancient Greek ὀβελοί (obeloí).
noun obeluses · obeli · obolus
- A symbol resembling a horizontal line (–), sometimes together with one or two dots (for example, ⨪ or ÷), which was used in ancient manuscripts and texts to mark a word or passage as doubtful or spurious, or redundant; an obelisk. The ancienteſt of all is that of the Library of M. Colbert, which contains part of Exodus, Numbers, and Leviticus, of the Tranſlation of the Septuagint, with Lines call'd Obeli and Aſteriſks, as we find them in the Hexapla of Origen.
- A dagger symbol (†), which is used in printed matter as a reference mark to refer the reader to a footnote, marginal note, etc.; beside a person's name to indicate that the person is deceased; or beside a date to indicate that it is a person's death date; an obelisk. And, with respect to the Homer of Aristarchus, it is to be considered, that besides the lines, sentences, and long passages, to which that Herod of critics affixed his obelus (†) or stiletto, there were entire books which he found no use on obelising piecemeal; because it was not this line or that l
Translations
Talk about this word "obelus." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/obelus. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. obelus. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/obelus "obelus." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/obelus.Cite this
@misc{obelus_2026,
title = {obelus},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/obelus},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
