Dagger

Also called obelisk.

How to type it

Mac: Option + T. Windows: Alt + 0134 on the number pad.

Common uses

• The dagger marks a footnote when an asterisk is already in use on the same page.
• It sits as a small raised mark after the word or sentence the note explains.

Less common uses

• In the traditional order of footnote marks, the dagger comes second, after the asterisk and before the double dagger ‡.
• Placed before a name, a dagger can show that the person has died, as in †John Smith.
• Some dictionaries put a dagger beside a word to show that it is obsolete.