ampersand

American  

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

noun

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

   Smith & Jones, Inc.

---

ampersand British  

/ ˈæmpəˌsænd /

noun

1. the character (&), meaning and

   John Brown & Co

---

ampersand Cultural  

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

---

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

Anthony Friedman, the lawyer listed for Ampersand Publishing in the bankruptcy filing, did not immediately return a phone call or email seeking comment.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 24, 2023

Neither Jerry Namba, the bankruptcy trustee, nor Levene, Neale, Bender, Yoo & Golubchik, the law firm identified in the bankruptcy filing as representing Ampersand, responded to requests for comment via telephone or email on Sunday.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 23, 2023

"Motorbikes make up more than half of all vehicles in this part of the world," says Ampersand chief executive Josh Whale.

From BBC • Nov. 8, 2021

One of the more lighthearted elements of the show is Yorrick’s pet monkey Ampersand.

From The Verge • Sep. 9, 2021

We landed on a sand beach at the mouth of a little stream, where a blazed tree marked the beginning of the Ampersand trail.

From Little Rivers; a book of essays in profitable idleness by Van Dyke, Henry