Overview

The asterisk is a small star-shaped typographic mark used in writing and printing. Visually compact and immediately recognisable, it serves a range of functions from marking footnotes to acting as a wildcard in computing. In everyday speech among programmers and some mathematicians it is often called "star." For a basic typographic reference see typographic symbol.

Form and names

In printed type the asterisk commonly appears with five or six radiating arms; when handwritten people often draw six or eight strokes. It is part of many writing systems' punctuation sets and appears on standard keyboard layouts. Alternative names include star, splat (informal), and starlet in some typographic contexts. In computing contexts the word "star" is frequently used, as in the A* search algorithm or the use of '*' as a wildcard.

History and development

The asterisk has deep roots in manuscript traditions where scribes used small star-like marks to indicate corrections, omissions, or points of interest. Over time the mark was standardized in print and type, becoming a routine tool for annotations and editorial marks. Its modern roles expanded with telegraphy, typewriters and computer keyboards, which helped fix an ASCII representation that made the symbol widely portable across systems. For a technical perspective consult computing and symbol usage.

Common uses and examples

  • Footnotes and references: indicating additional information attached to a line of text.
  • Censorship or redaction: replacing letters in offensive words (e.g., s**t).
  • Computing: wildcard matching in searches, pointer or dereference operator in some languages, and multiplication in plain-text expressions.
  • Plain-text emphasis: surrounding words with asterisks to mark italics or bold in lightweight markup conventions.
  • Corrections in online chat: placing an asterisk after a corrected word to show a follow-up edit.

Notable distinctions and facts

Although simple in appearance, the asterisk carries different meanings depending on context. In mathematics and software it can be an operator, in editorial work a signpost for notes, and in social contexts a tool for polite censorship or quick correction. Typography choices — how many points the star has, its weight, and spacing — affect legibility and intended emphasis. For further reading on typographic conventions see type and punctuation.