virgule

[ vur-gyool ]

/ ˈvɜr gyul /

noun

a short oblique stroke (/) between two words indicating that whichever is appropriate may be chosen to complete the sense of the text in which they occur: The defendant and his/her attorney must appear in court.

a dividing line, as in dates, fractions, a run-in passage of poetry to show verse division, etc.: 3/21/27; “Sweetest love, I do not go/For weariness of thee.” (John Donne)

a short oblique stroke (/) used in computing; a forward slash.

QUIZZES

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PUNCTUATION QUIZ

Punctuation marks help make writing easy to read and understand. Some of the most important ones are the period (.), comma (,), question mark (?), and exclamation point (!). How well do you know how to use them? Find out in this quiz!

Question 1 of 10

Which punctuation mark is best for this sentence? "Can I watch a movie __"

comma (,)

period (.)

question mark (?)

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also called diagonal, separatrix, shilling mark, slant, slash, solidus; especially British stroke.

Origin of virgule

1830–40; < French virgule comma, little rod < Latin virgula; see virgulate

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH virgule

backslash forward slash virgule

Words nearby virgule

virgo, virgo cluster, virgo intacta, virgoan, virgulate, virgule, viricide, virid, viridescent, viridian, viridity

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for virgule

He may be known for the Virgule, but the feeling of his new exhibition more closely resembles an exclamation mark.
Shoes Fit For A Museum: Roger Vivier’s Virigule Show Opens at Palais De Tokyo|Sarah Moroz|October 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Virgule, vėr′gūl, n. a little rod: a mark of punctuation, a comma.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements)|Various
His beard was trimmed to a moustache and virgule (now called imperial) and he carried a sword at his side and a cane in his hand.
Catherine de' Medici|Honore de Balzac
It was impracticable to reproduce the original punctuation, which mainly consisted of the virgule or slash.
The Disguising at Hertford|John Lydgate

He wore the tuft of beard called a virgule (a comma) and a moustache.
The Works of Honor de Balzac|Honor de Balzac

British Dictionary definitions for virgule

virgule

/ (ˈvɜːɡjuːl) /

noun

printing another name for solidus

Word Origin for virgule

C19: from French: comma, from Latin virgula a little rod, from virga rod

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012