octothorpe
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octothorpe
- /ˈɒktəʊθɔːp/ UK
- /ˈɑːktoʊθɔːɹp/ US
Where it comes from
Origin disputed. There is no known usage before it was adopted by Bell Labs in the late 1960s or early 1970s, so most sources agree it was coined by someone at Bell Labs, but accounts from Bell Labs personnel conflict on the details. The derivation as a traditional term from octo- (“eight”) + thorpe (“field, hamlet or small village”) lacks any evidence, but there is near universal agreement that the first element refers to the number eight. Eight is derived from the number of ends of the lines. Thorpe could be a reference to Jim Thorpe, as one proponent was a fan of the athlete. However, it probably is just an arbitrarily-picked syllable with no particular meaning.
noun octothorpes · octothorp
-
The hash or square symbol #, used mainly in telephony and computing.
The pad 1 provides keys for numerals 0 to 9, while the sextile or asterisk (*) key is decoded to provide a decimal point and the octothorp ( # ) key generates a command to send the contents of the memory unto the telephone line through a send circuit 7, a coupling circuit 8 and the hybrid network 2.
Similar: hash, hashtag, number sign, octothorn, pound sign
Talk about this word "octothorpe." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/octothorpe. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. octothorpe. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/octothorpe "octothorpe." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/octothorpe.Cite this
@misc{octothorpe_2026,
title = {octothorpe},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/octothorpe},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
