backslash
English
Etymology
back + slash, because it is a slash going back against the direction of writing, in contrast to the common slash / (“slash, solidus, oblique, forward slash”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈbækˌslæʃ/
Audio (Berkshire, England) (file) - Rhymes: -æʃ
Noun
backslash (plural backslashes)
- The punctuation mark \\.
- (computing, rare, proscribed) Used erroneously in reference to, or in reading out, the ordinary slash, that is, the punctuation mark /.
- 2001, James T. Bretzke, Bibliography on East Asian Religion and Philosophy, Edwin Mellen Press, →ISBN, page 455:
- […] I was trying to find a web-site for which I had been given the following address: http://www.isop.ucla.edu/pacrim/pubs/korjournal.htm. […] I began to work backwards, removing first the last part of the address following the last backslash (/korjournal.htm).
- 2010, Lee Vance, The Garden of Betrayal, Random House, published 2011, →ISBN, page 25:
- “So, do what I tell you. Open a browser window and type this in the menu[sic] bar: F-T-P colon backslash backslash euronews dot net backslash...”
I pecked carefully at the keyboard as he dictated a URL that was about fifty characters long, […]
- 2010, Frank Barnas; Ted White, Broadcast News Writing, Reporting, and Producing, Fifth Edition, Elsevier, →ISBN, page 114:
- Also, avoid submenus[sic] that can confuse the audience—if you're giving lengthy Web site addresses full of backslashes, shorten it so only the Web site's home page is given.
-
Usage notes
- Sometimes used to indicate the beginning and ending of an area of words being marked for correction.
Synonyms
- reverse solidus
- slosh
- whack
Antonyms
- slash
Coordinate terms
- slash
Translations
punctuation mark
|
Verb
backslash (third-person singular simple present backslashes, present participle backslashing, simple past and past participle backslashed)
- (computing, transitive) To escape (a metacharacter) by prepending a backslash that serves as an escape character, thereby forming an escape sequence.
See also
- backslash on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Typography
- ampersand ( & )
- asterisk ( * ) and asterism ( ⁂ )
- at sign ( @ )
- backslash ( \\ )
- bullet ( • )
- dagger ( † ‡ )
- degree symbol ( ° )
- number sign ( # )
- prime ( ′ )
- tilde ( ~ )
- underscore ( _ )
- vertical bar/pipe ( | )
Dutch
Etymology
Borrowed from English backslash.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈbɛkslɛʃ/
Audio (file) - Hyphenation: back‧slash
Noun
backslash m (plural backslashes or backslashen, diminutive backslashje n)
- backslash
Synonyms
- omgekeerde schuine streep
- schuine streep naar achter
- schuine streep naar links
- terugschrap
- terugstreep