@

Also known as at symbol, apetail, commercial at, at sign

at sign, typographic symbol used as an abbreviation, traditionally in commerce for an old measurement unit or for unitary prices, or more recently in email addresses or to indicate a location

AI overview

The "@" symbol is a typographic character that has been used for different purposes over time, traditionally in business to abbreviate measurements or prices, and more recently as a key part of email addresses and online communication. Today it matters primarily because it's essential for email functionality and is widely used on social media and digital platforms to mention or tag specific people or locations.

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Wikidata facts

Image: At char.svg

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Commons category: At sign
time of earliest written record: 1536-05-04
code: .--.-.
Unicode character: ﹫

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The at sign (@) is a typographical symbol used as an accounting and invoice abbreviation meaning "at a rate of" (e.g. 7 widgets @ £2 per widget = £14), and now seen more widely in email addresses and social media platform handles. In English, it is normally read aloud as "at", and is also commonly called the at symbol, commercial at (commat), or email address sign. Most languages have their own name for the symbol.

Although not included on the keyboard layout of the earliest commercially successful typewriters, it was on at least one 1889 model and the very successful Underwood models from the "Underwood No. 5" in 1900 onward. It started to be used in email addresses in the 1970s, and is now routinely included on most types of computer keyboards.