ampersand

American  

[am-per-sand, am-per-sand] / ˈæm pərˌsænd, ˌæm pərˈsænd /

noun

1. a character or symbol (& or ) for and .

   Smith & Jones, Inc.

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ampersand British  

/ ˈæmpəˌsænd /

noun

1. the character (&), meaning and

   John Brown & Co

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ampersand Cultural  

1. A symbol (see also symbol) for and (&), as in Dun & Bradstreet.

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Etymology

Origin of ampersand

1820–30; contraction of and per se and literally, (the symbol) & by itself (stands for) and; see per se

Explanation

An ampersand is a shorthand symbol for "and." It looks like this: & . People often use an ampersand when they want to save space — like when they're writing on Twitter or trying to come up with a cool company logo. The symbol comes from ancient Roman times and can be seen in really old Pompeiian graffiti. The word ampersand is a mix of Latin and English and a condensed version of the phrase "and per se and," which means "(the character) '&' by itself is 'and'."

Example Sentences

The Craft & Folk Art Museum lost an ampersand but gained a new identity.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 21, 2023

Rebranded as Forterra in 2011, its logo includes an ampersand as the letter “e” — reflecting its added scope.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 11, 2022

Bethanne Patrick’s January picks cover train wrecks, political drama, enraging inequality, the complications of polyamory and the joy of the ampersand.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2022

A single sprouted seed, its thin green shoot reaching out and curling in on itself like an ampersand, sat in a petri dish among dozens of others.

From New York Times • Nov. 11, 2021

The m of the curious word ampersand, variously spelt, is due to the neighbouring p.

From The Romance of Words (4th ed.) by Weekley, Ernest