backslash

American  

[bak-slash] / ˈbækˌslæʃ /

noun

1. a short oblique stroke (\), a backward slash, used in some computer operating systems to mark the division between a directory and a subdirectory or its folders, as in designating a path.

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backslash British  

noun

1. a slash which slopes to the left \

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Etymology

Origin of backslash

First recorded in 1975–80; back ¹ + slash ¹

Compare meaning

How does backslash compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• backslash vs. forward slash

Example Sentences

But Jones said he was skeptical that the town hall would help CNN’s reputation in the long term, given the backslash.

From Seattle Times • May 11, 2023

Cambridge inhabits a mere seven square miles outside Boston, angling like a backslash into the Charles River.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2020

The institute signed an agreement with the government of French Polynesia to build a lagoon in Tahiti in 2017, but the French Polynesian government has since declared that project void after public backslash.

From Slate • May 1, 2019

As in MS-DOS, you do not need the first backslash if the subdirectory comes off the directory you're already in.

From Big Dummy's Guide to the Internet by Electronic Frontier Foundation

If the listing doesn't fit on the screen, try ls | less, where | is the ``pipe'' character, generally found on the same key with backslash.

From Debian GNU/Linux : Guide to Installation and Usage by Goerzen, John