What ÷ means, where the obelus came from, and how to type it — click to copy.
Click to copy · U+00F7
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Character | ÷ |
| Unicode code point | U+00F7 |
| Unicode name | DIVISION SIGN |
| Unicode block | Latin-1 Supplement |
| Category | Math symbol |
| Common name | Obelus |
÷ is called an obelus, borrowed from the Greek word for a pointed skewer or pillar. Long before it meant division, the same mark (as a dagger or short horizontal line) was used by ancient and medieval scribes to flag suspect or spurious passages in a manuscript.
Its use for division specifically dates to 1659, when Swiss mathematician Johann Rahn published it in his algebra textbook Teutsche Algebra, possibly with input from the English mathematician John Pell, who edited an English translation. The symbol spread through the UK and later the US, though it never became universal — French and other continental traditions favored the colon (:) for division instead. Today ÷ is mostly seen in early arithmetic education and on calculators; higher mathematics generally prefers writing a fraction (a/b) once expressions get more complex.
| Platform | Works? |
|---|---|
| Instagram bio / caption | Yes |
| Discord | Yes |
| TikTok display name | Yes |
| Yes | |
| Roblox username | No — letters, numbers, underscore only |
| PlayStation Network / Xbox Live gamertag | No — alphanumeric only |
| Method | Input |
|---|---|
| Windows Alt code | Alt+0247 |
| Mac | Option+/ |
| HTML entity | ÷ or ÷ |
| CSS content | content: "\00F7" |
| LaTeX | \div |
÷ is one of dozens of operators, Greek letters, and set-theory symbols in the full math symbols library.
Browse Math Symbols →÷ is called an obelus, from the Greek word for a pointed pillar or skewer. The same word originally described a dagger-like mark medieval scribes used to flag doubtful passages in manuscripts, long before it meant division.
On Windows, hold Alt and type 0247 on the numeric keypad (Alt+0247). On Mac, press Option+/. In HTML, use the entity ÷ or ÷.
Once expressions get complex, fraction notation (a/b, stacked as a numerator over a denominator) shows grouping more clearly than ÷ does. ÷ remains standard in early arithmetic and on calculators, but algebra and higher math largely switched to fraction bars.
÷ (U+00F7) is the standalone obelus symbol used for the operation itself. ⁄ (U+2044, fraction slash) is a typographic slash used to build a stacked-looking fraction like 1⁄2 inline — similar-looking, but distinct Unicode characters with different jobs.