division sign

American  

noun

Arithmetic.

1. the symbol (÷) or (/) placed between two expressions and denoting division of the first by the second.

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division sign British  

noun

1. the symbol ÷, placed between the dividend and the divisor to indicate division, as in 12 ÷ 6 = 2

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Etymology

Origin of division sign

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

At least he has a solid crew of bangers: orange square, division sign, snorkel and “my boy, the goat” building with a horn on it.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2026

After reading about the science of math movement, she became more explicit about things that she assumed students understood, like how the horizontal line in a fraction means the same thing as a division sign.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 12, 2023

The Peaveys’ vertical division sign is on it.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 10, 2018

If we don’t write the variables but, instead, line up their coefficients in columns under the division sign and also eliminate the partial products, we already have a simpler version of the entire problem.

From Textbooks • Feb. 13, 2015