em dash

See also: emdash and em-dash

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Named because the symbol (—) has the same width as the letter 'm', approximately twice the width of an en dash.

Noun

em dash (plural em dashes)

  1. (typography) The symbol (—) (used to demarcate a parenthetical thought or to indicate a break, or for emphasis)

Usage notes

In Unicode, these symbols are identical in appearance and can be used as quotation dashes:

  • ― (em dash)
  • ― (horizontal bar)

Translations

Anagrams
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