obelus

American  

[ob-uh-luhs] / ˈɒb ə ləs /

noun

plural

obeli

1. a mark (− or ÷) used in ancient manuscripts to point out spurious, corrupt, doubtful, or superfluous words or passages.

---

obelus British  

/ ˈɒbɪləs /

noun

1. a mark (— or ÷) used in editions of ancient documents to indicate spurious words or passages

2. another name for dagger

---

Etymology

Origin of obelus

1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin < Greek obelós spit, pointed pillar

Example Sentences

The object therefore of Moses' voyage to Alexandria was probably that he might add to the Armenian text the Sections of Ammonius, and also the asterisks and obeli of Origen's Hexaplaric copy128.

From Project Gutenberg

It Harklean. represents in the main the text of the later Greek MSS., but it has important textual notes, and has adopted a system of asterisks and obeli from the Hexaplar LXX.

From Project Gutenberg

To obtain a thoroughly correct text, he marked with an obelus the lines he considered spurious; other signs were used by him to indicate notes, varieties of reading, repetitions and interpolations.

From Project Gutenberg

In his peculiar notation, Asides are marked by inverted commas, and obvious stage business is indicated by an obelus.

From Project Gutenberg

But such was not the usage of Budaeus; he employed the obelus merely to call attention to something that interested him.

From Project Gutenberg