asterisks

[ˈæstərɪsks]

asterisks Definition

a symbol (*) used to mark printed or written text, typically as a reference to an annotation or to stand for an omitted letter or word.

Using asterisks: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "asterisks" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

  • Example

    He used asterisks to indicate footnotes in his book.

  • Example

    The password must contain at least one asterisk.

  • Example

    She censored the swear words with asterisks.

Phrases with asterisks

  • to mark something as important or requiring attention

    Example

    I put an asterisk by the items that need to be completed today.

  • to censor or obscure something with asterisks

    Example

    She asterisked out the inappropriate words in the text message before showing it to her children.

  • a key on a keyboard used to type the asterisk symbol

    Example

    Press the asterisk key to enter the code.

Origins of asterisks

from Late Latin 'asteriscus', from Greek 'asteriskos', meaning 'little star'

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Summary: asterisks in Brief

An 'asterisk' [ˈæstərɪsks] is a symbol (*) used to mark printed or written text, typically as a reference to an annotation or to stand for an omitted letter or word. It can also be used to censor or obscure inappropriate words. Phrases like 'put an asterisk by something' and 'asterisk out' use 'asterisk' to denote marking something as important or censoring it, respectively. The 'asterisk key' is a key on a keyboard used to type the asterisk symbol.