!

also !

! U+0021, ! EXCLAMATION MARK ← Basic Latin " →

Translingual

Description

A point and a vertical line above it.

In several computer fonts, the vertical line forms a thin acute angle, being slightly larger at the top than the bottom. It may also be rounded at the top.

Etymology

May derive from a Latin Io, with the I written over the o, placed at the end of an exclamation to mark it as such. The Io may either be an abbreviation for interiectiō (“interjection”), or else the interjection iō (“hey!”). It expresses admiration in the sentence clause(s), in the Latin sense, of awe or wonderment.

Punctuation mark

!

1. Denoting excitement, surprise, shock or sudden realizations.
   1. Expresses excitement, anger or other emotion.

      What a beautiful day!

      • 2007, J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter e as Relíquias da Morte [Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows] (Harry Potter; 7), Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, →ISBN, page 369:

        Seu macaquinho imundo!

        You filthy little monkey!

   2. Replacing a period at the end of a declarative sentence.

      I had no idea!

   3. Following a question mark at the end of an interrogative sentence.

      How is that possible?!

   4. At the end of an interjection that is set off by dashes or parentheses.

      After he finished his drink — his fifth! — he left the room.

   5. In parentheses; see (!).

      After he finished his fifth drink (!), he left the room.

   6. (comics) Used in some comics instead of the period (.), ending all sentences, except those that use question marks, ellipses, etc.
   7. (comics, video games) Used by itself to convey that a character is surprised at something.

      Character #1: "The zombie is right behind you!"
      Character #2: "!"

      • 1996, Game Freak, Pokémon Red and Blue, Nintendo:

        ! [indicates that another trainer noticed the player character, prompting a battle between them]

      • 2015 September 15, Toby Fox, Undertale, Linux, Microsoft Windows, OS X:

        ! [indicates a random encounter with a monster]

   8. (comics, video games) Used to convey that a character has made a sudden realization.
      • 2002, Capcom, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All, Capcom:

        "I would like to go over this one more time. You met Adrian Andrews at a bar and took the request at that time?" "Yes, that is correct." "And that's the moment you thought 'he' was trustworthy..." "How many times must I repeat myself? Yes, that is correct." "I'm sorry, but that is an impossible tale." "Wh-What!?" "Shelly de Killer. You have never met the real Adrian Andrews!" "...! Wh-Why would you say that...?" "Because you made one very big slip-up... ...about her." "So what is the issue... ...! Wh-What did you say just now...? About 'her'...?" "If you had ever met Adrian Andrews in person... One look would have told you that she is a woman!"

2. (botany) Placed after a herbarium abbreviation to indicate that the mentioned material held there has been examined directly by the author.
   • 2008 June, A Michele Funston, “Taxonomic Revision of Roldana (Asteraceae: Senecioneae), a Genus of the Southwestern U.S.A., Mexico, and Central America”, in Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, volume 95, number 2 (in English), page 307:

     TYPE: Mexico. Nayarit: Tepic, 10 Feb. 1927, Marcus E. Jones 23357 (holotype, POM not seen; isotype, US!).

3. (Internet, fandom slang) Used to join a descriptor, such as a trait, with its referent, usually a character or relationship.

   She particularly prefers to read fanfiction about hurt!Spock.

   • 2000 October 3, Alli Snow, “comment and question”, in alt.tv.stargate-sg1‎ (Usenet), message-ID <[email protected]>:

     But it has been a while since we've seen Smart!Jack; I wouldn't mind seeing him again...

   • 2000 December 12, Laura, “Since You've Been Gone”, in alt.tv.x-files‎ (Usenet), message-ID <[email protected]>:

     Some take great exception to Action!Scully thinking she should be a little more country than rock and roll in her delicate condition.

Usage notes

• Its English name is variously exclamation mark, exclamation point, exclamation, ecphoneme, or, in computing contexts, shriek, bang or pling.
• In its use to denote excitement, surprise, or shock, it is sometimes repeated for additional emphasis, as in "!!", "!!!", "??!!!", or the like.

Derived terms

Translations

Symbol

!

1. (mathematics) The factorial: the result of a multiplication of all integers from 1 to the given number.

   5! = 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 120

   "five factorial equals 120"

2. (chess) Indicates a good move.
   • 1983, Claude Santoy, Échecs et maths (in French), Marabout,, →ISBN, page 134:

     (Fb4! 10.c3 suivi de De7 eut été plus précis)

     (Bb4! 10.c3 followed by Qe7 would have been more efficient)

3. (computing, in many programming languages) A Boolean negation, the not operator, serving to invert the truth value of what follows.
4. (computing, e-mail) Formerly used as a separator between hostnames in an e-mail address for the purpose of routing a message (called bang path notation).
5. (computing, IRC) Used as a separator between a user's nickname and ident.

See also

• Exclamation mark on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• ՜ (^!) (Armenian)

Punctuation

References

English

Symbol

!

1. In glosses, marks a word as imperative.

   manĝi, manĝu, manĝis "eat, eat!, ate"

German

Punctuation mark

!

1. (chiefly obsolete) used at the end of a salutation line of a letter

   Lieber Hans!

   Dear Hans,