What is the official name of the # symbol?

Hints

It's not "hashtag" or "pound sign."
The first part of the word means "eight."
It has eight points around its edges, like an octopus has eight arms.

Reveal the answer

Answer: Octothorpe

The # symbol is officially called an octothorpe. The name is usually traced to engineers at Bell Labs in the 1960s, who needed a name for the new key on touch-tone telephones. "Octo" refers to its eight points, while the origin of "thorpe" is debated, with one popular story saying it was a nod to Olympic athlete Jim Thorpe.

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