pound sign

IPA/ˈpaʊnd saɪn/
IPA/ˈpaʊnd saɪn/

pound sign — noun

1. the printed or written character (£) used to represent the British pound, the of

1.nounB1
Definition

the printed or written character (£) used to represent the British pound, the official money of the United Kingdom

Example

Rin looked at the menu and saw every main dish was over £20.

placed directly before the amount with no space

Eric wrote £50 on the birthday envelope before handing it to his niece.

Common collocations
  • type the pound sign
  • insert a pound sign
  • write the pound sign
Synonyms
  • pound symbol

    slightly more formal; common in computer documentation

  • sterling sign

    less common; emphasises the currency rather than the unit

Usage Note

Used in British English to name the currency symbol. In American English, 'pound sign' usually means the # symbol instead — see sense 3.

Common Mistakes

I pressed the pound sign on my phone to pay in pounds.
I pressed the hash key on my phone.
In American English, 'pound sign' on a phone means #, not £. British visitors to the US often find this confusing.

2. an informal British term for money, especially a large sum — used when the amoun

2.nounC1
Definition

an informal British term for money, especially a large sum — used when the amount is worth drawing attention to

Example

Priya's uncle sold his garage business and walked away with serious pound sign.

informal British slang: 'serious pound sign' = a lot of money

The kitchen renovation took twice as long as promised and cost proper pound sign.

Common collocations
  • cost pound sign
  • pay pound sign
  • earn pound sign
  • spend pound sign
Synonyms
  • cash

    more general; can refer to any amount, large or small

  • dosh

    very informal British slang at the same register

  • money

    neutral; does not suggest a notably large sum

Usage Note

Informal British usage. Not used in American English, where 'pound sign' refers only to the # symbol. Usually comes after an adjective like serious, decent, big, proper, or real — never with an article ('a pound sign' is wrong in this sense).

Common Mistakes

He earns a good pound sign.
He earns good pound sign.
No article before 'pound sign' in this informal sense; it works like a mass noun.

3. the symbol (#) found on telephone keypads and computer keyboards, used as a numb

3.nounB1
Definition

the symbol (#) found on telephone keypads and computer keyboards, used as a number sign or to mark topics on social media

Example

Nadia pressed the pound sign on her phone to confirm the appointment.

American term for # on a telephone keypad

The automated voice at the vet's clinic told callers to press the pound sign after entering their pet's ID number.

Common collocations
  • press the pound sign
  • hit the pound sign
  • enter the pound sign
Synonyms
  • hash

    the standard British term for the same # symbol

  • number sign

    used when # comes before a numeral, e.g. #1 pencil

  • hashtag

    specifically on social media for grouping topics

Usage Note

This is the main meaning in American English. In British English, this symbol is called a 'hash' or 'hash key', and 'pound sign' means £ instead (see sense 1). Distinguish carefully based on whether the speaker is American or British.

Common Mistakes

Write £50 on the form.
Write £50 on the form
that's the pound sign before the number.' — In the UK, pound sign is £; in the US, it is #. Always check which variety of English is being used to avoid mixing up the two symbols.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Pound sign, pound symbol, sterling sign, and £ symbol all name the same £ character, but each fits a different setting. Pound sign is the everyday British term — you would tell a colleague to 'put the pound sign before the total.' Pound symbol is a little more formal and appears often in software menus and keyboard shortcuts. Sterling sign is rarer and is used when the writer wants to stress the currency (sterling) rather than the unit (pound), so it shows up in banking leaflets or financial guides. £ symbol is purely descriptive and mostly found in textbooks or language-learning materials that need to avoid any possible confusion. In everyday speech, stick with pound sign in the UK; elsewhere, be ready to clarify which symbol you mean.

pound symbolsterling sign£ symbol

Common collocations

Phrases

  • press the pound sign
  • type the pound sign
  • hit the pound sign

Prepositions

  • pound sign before (an amount)

Etymology

LatinOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The term 'pound sign' combines 'pound' (from Latin pondus, meaning weight, and later the British unit of currency) with 'sign' (from Latin signum, a mark or token). The £ symbol itself originated as a stylised letter L, from Latin libra, the Roman pound. The American use of 'pound sign' for # comes from a separate path: in old typewriters and ledgers, # was used as an abbreviation for 'pound' in weight (as in '5# of sugar'), a practice that continued onto telephone keypads where the symbol retained the label 'pound sign.'

First known use

1895

1895, in the meaning defined at sense 1