ampersand

ampersand
    n 1: a punctuation mark (&) used to represent conjunction (and)
    

Ampersand \Am"per*sand\, n. [A corruption of and, per se and, i.
   e., & by itself makes and.]
   A word used to describe the character ?, ?, or &.
   --Halliwell.
   [1913 Webster]
    

ampersand
amper

   <character> "&" {ASCII} character 38.

   Common names: {ITU-T}, {INTERCAL}: ampersand; amper; and.
   Rare: address (from {C}); reference (from C++); bitand;
   background (from {sh}); pretzel; amp.

   A common symbol for "and", used as the "address of" operator
   in {C}, the "reference" operator in {C++} and a {bitwise}
   {AND} operator in several programming languages.

   {UNIX} {shells} use the character to indicate that a task
   should be run in the {background}.

   The ampersand is a ligature (combination) of the cursive
   letters "e" and "t", invented in 63 BC by Marcus Tirus [Tiro?]
   as shorthand for the Latin word for "and", "et".

   The word ampersand is a conflation (combination) of "and, per
   se and".  Per se means "by itself", and so the phrase
   translates to "&, standing by itself, means 'and'".  This was
   at the end of the alphabet as it was recited by children in
   old English schools.  The words ran together and were
   associated with "&".  The "ampersand" spelling dates from
   1837.

   Take our word for it
   (http://takeourword.com/Issue010.html).

   (2000-10-28)