what is the name of '#'?

HaohaoxuexiCan you tell me the English name of '#'? pound key, pound sign or else? And what is hex key?

Thanks

Hi,

It is a pound sign. A pound-key is a button on a keyboard with a pound sign.

"A hex key, also known as an Allen, Alum, hex-head, or zeta key or wrench, is a tool used t

Hi,

I used to hear it called a number sign but in the age of computers I hear it called pound sign. Automated telephone instructions say, "Enter your account number and press pound."

I've never heard of a hex key, but in BASIC programming a hexadecimal (base 16) number is often preceded by the dollar sign.

Regards, - A.

Edit. Wow!

How about hash key? Is it the same thing?

HaohaoxuexiHow about hash key? Is it the same thing?

Hi,

Now you are asking a bit tougher question to answer. But I'll give it a try.

In the computing world, a hash key is an output of a hash function (a mathematical function), whose job is to transform a huge range of input values into a smaller groups of values, each group is repr

HaohaoxuexiHow about hash key? Is it the same thing?

As a footnote to Hoa's very interesting note on hash functions: "hash key" is probably the most common name in BrE for the # sign on a keypad.

"Pound sign" is generally not used in the UK, and may cause confusion, as native speakers naturally interpret the phrase as meaning £.

On the subje

HaohaoxuexiHow about hash key? Is it the same thing?

Conference call blues

Two Nations separated by a common language?

Every time I get on a conference call with the US I get the "enter your particpant code followed by the pound key". My phone (like all others in the world) does not have a pound key (£) - it does have a hash key (#).

Hmmm. The "hash key" reminded me of the phrase "hash marks," which I though referred to crosshatching used in a drawing to indicate shading -- this would make sense for the origin of "hash key" for #. A very quick google search did not confirm this menaing, but turned up lots of other meanings for "hash marks" -- including the stripes on a soldier's sleeve indicating rank, and the ' and

number: Please refer to # 5 for your answer.

pound: Sign over the beans = $2.50 #, or $2.30 lb.

KhoffIs anyone familiar with the meaning I had in mind, or did I just make it up?

Somewhere in the back of my mind is "hache marks"; though possibly only by association with "hachure".

MrP

MrPedantic"Pound sign" is generally not used in the UK, and may cause confusion, as native speakers naturally interpret the phrase as meaning £.

The confusion has not been restricted to the UK. I remember when I first started hearing people talk about "the pound key", I had no idea whatsoever that they meant ' # '. In fact, I can still clearly remember s