ampersand
[ am-per-sand, am-per-sand ]
noun
a character or symbol (& or ) for and: Smith & Jones, Inc.
Origin of ampersand
11820–30; contraction of and per se and literally, (the symbol) & by itself (stands for) and; see per se
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use ampersand in a sentence
Which of the three Ampersands has the prior claim to the name, I cannot tell.
Little Rivers | Henry van Dyke
British Dictionary definitions for ampersand
ampersand
/ (ˈæmpəˌsænd) /
noun
the character (&), meaning and: John Brown & Co
Origin of ampersand
1C19: shortened from and per se and, that is, the symbol & by itself (represents) and
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for ampersand
ampersand
[ (am-puhr-sand) ]
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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