caret
(1) A vertical, flashing bar used as a pointer for entering text.
(2) The small up-facing arrow on the "6" key (shift-6) on a typewriter keyboard. Also called a "hat," it is used as a symbol for several different operations. The mathematical expression 2^12 means 2 to the 12th power. It is also used as an exclusive OR operator (see XOR), and it is sometimes found as a symbol for the control key; for example, ^Y means Ctrl-Y.
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| The Caret |
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| Sitting like a hat on the "6" key, the caret has become a multi-purpose symbol. |
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| The Control Key |
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| This screen shot from WordStar, a popular word processor in the 1980s, shows the command menu at the top. All commands were initiated by holding down the control key, which was symbolized by the caret (^). |
caret [′kar·ət]
(graphic arts)
A printed or written character having the form of an inverted V.
| caret - ^ Common: hat; control; uparrow; caret; ITU-T: circumflex. Rare: chevron; INTERCAL: shark (or shark-fin); to the ("to the power of"); fang; pointer (in Pascal). |
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