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timor B · 11-09-2012, 06:25 PM

the key that comes when you press shift 2

Zarn · 11-09-2012, 06:33 PM

The at sign (@), also called the at symbol, is formally an abbreviation of the accounting and commercial invoice term "at the rate of" (e.g., 7 widgets @ $2 = $14). In recent years its meaning has changed to also mean "at" in the sense of "located at", especially in email addresses. Increasingly, @ is also used as a prefix to user names (e.g., @username) on social websites such as Bebo, Facebook and Twitter to denote a link, attribution or indirect reference.

Jen · 11-09-2012, 06:33 PM

It is just a short form for the word 'at' . Like, I am having a bake sale, @ 2000 Maple Ave this Sunday. That is all it means.

jammers · 11-09-2012, 06:33 PM

An ampersand is this &. The @ is called the 'at sign' in English but has different names in other languages.

Virginia · 11-09-2012, 06:33 PM

What it meant when I was growing up and what it means now are two somewhat different things.

If you look at it, it looks like "a" wrapped in an "e".

When I was young, grocers used to price things at so-and-so amount each. So a sign might say,
"Squash $1.00 each"

Shorthand for that would be "Squash, $1.00 ea."

shorthand for that would be "Squash, @ $1.00"

Per pound, it would be "Squash @ $1.00/lb" so it could mean "at" as well.

These days, "@" means "at"
when you write your e-mail address, it takes you to a particular section (unique to your user name) on a particular company server (such as yahoo.com). The @ sign is a special character that is used to call certain items in a computer language. Many times, when you are naming files or programs, you are not allowed to use special characters in a name because they would call functions that would produce errors.

Look here at this definition of @:
http://www.symbols.com/encyclopedia/50/5022.html

This looks like a good source for definition of many symbols, too.

EDIT: It looks like I was wrong about it being "each" although it was used that way. It is much older and has been used in a way similar to the e-mail form in prior centuries! Wow! The things I learn!