asterisk

/ˌæstəˈrɪsk/

/ˈæstərɪsk/

Other forms: asterisks; asterisked

When you're writing something and need to add a quick footnote, an easy way to mark the place where you want to include the extra comment is to use an asterisk, a star-shaped symbol.

An asterisk is a punctuation mark that you can use to note something in writing, or to stand in for something you've left out. Often a writer uses an asterisk when she wants to add something but doesn't want to include it in the body of the story; the reader sees the asterisk, and finds another one at the bottom of the page beside the note. In Greek, asterikos means "little star," which perfectly describes what an asterisk looks like.

Definitions of asterisk

1. noun

   a star-shaped character (*) used in printing
   synonyms: star

   type of:

   character, grapheme, graphic symbol

   a written symbol that is used to represent speech
2. verb

   mark with an asterisk
   synonyms: star

   type of:

   mark

   make or leave a mark on