A dash is a little horizontal line that floats in the middle of a line of text (not at the bottom: that’s an underscore). Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! “Dash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dash. With that in mind, let’s look at the various uses of en dashes. Another em dash vs. en dash difference is the width. They are more formal than dashes. En dashes may look similar to em dashes, but they function in a much different way. English Language Learners Definition of dash (Entry 2 of 2), See the full definition for dash in the English Language Learners Dictionary, Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dash, Nglish: Translation of dash for Spanish Speakers, Britannica English: Translation of dash for Arabic Speakers, Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dash. How to Wish Someone Well in 2021. 'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'? Dash is a verb that means to strike violently, to run quickly over a short distance, or to frustrate or ruin. Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way. With dash… the act of running somewhere very quickly: I made a dash for the bathroom. Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). Dashes are used to separate two words into statements.It should be noted that dashes are Example: Jane, Daniel, Susan and I–we all were taken aback. Read also about the difference between dashes and hyphens. 5 Writing "Rules" That Are Really Guidelines, Tone vs. If you’re wondering, yes, these are types of punctuation that are named after letters. The keypad codes for these dashes are as follows: 1. en dash: alt+0150 2. em dash: alt+0151 Either dash is appropriate for pa… 1. Without dash: The May 1, 2013, edition of the Ames Sentinel arrived in June. A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark that’s used to join words or parts of words. Dashes can also be used as parenthesis. with a single space before and after it) is used: at the beginning and end of a comment that interrupts the flow of a sentence. [singular] a dash (for something) an act of going somewhere suddenly and/or quickly When the doors opened, there was a mad dash for seats. / ˈdæʃ ˌkæm / (also dashboard camera) a camera that is attached to a car's dashboard (= the part that contains some of the controls used for driving and the devices for measuring speed and distance) in … There are three forms of dashes: em, en, and the double hyphen. If you forget your lunch in the morning, you might try to dash home, grab it, and dash back to school. A good way to remember the difference between these two dashes is to visualize the en dash as the length of the letter N and the em dash as the length of the letter M. These dashes not only differ in length; they also serve different functions within a sentence. Dashes are used to extend a sentence to replace colons, semicolons, or three dots. 13 the punctuation mark —, used singly in place of a colon, esp. In this use, em dashes are similar to commas and parentheses, but there are subtle differences. Compare these sentences: Writers and transcriptionists replace unknown, censored, or intentionally omitted letters with em dashes. 14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1, 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 8b, Middle English dasshen, probably from Middle French dachier to impel forward. Learn a new word every day. in pairs, to mark off information or ideas that are not essential to an understanding of the rest of the sentence: Thousands of children—like the girl in this photograph—have … Use an en dash when you need to connect terms that are already hyphenated or when you are using a two-word phrase as a modifier. This grammar lesson offers an explanation on the correct use of dashes and gives examples of dashes … The period is also called full stop in England. As mentioned earlier, en dashes are used for specific purposes. (dæʃ ) Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense dashes , present participle dashing , past tense, past participle dashed. Merriam-Webster says the word dash comes from the Middle English word dasshen, which probably derives from the Middle French term dachier, meaning "to impel forward." Use a hyphen in a compound modifier when the modifier comes before the word it’s modifying. An em dash is used to indicate a break in a sentence or question. Mood: How to Use Tone and Mood in Your Writing, Beware of These Common Consistency Issues in Writing, Happy New Year, New Year’s, or New Years? For instance, em dashes can replace parentheses at the end of a sentence or when multiple commas appear in a parenthetical phrase. a 60-mile dash to safety He jumped off the bus and made a … Colons enable a writer to introduce a clause that amplifies whatever came before the colon. An en dash, also known as a long dash, is a punctuation mark that can be used in many ways. It’s longer than a hyphen and is commonly used to indicate a range or a pause. When you dash, you run a short distance very quickly. When the dash is used in this way, it creates a compound adjective. Rule 2. Dashes in Summaries and Additional Information. Definition of Dash The type of punctuation mark that is majorly used to indicate words separately, after an independent clause is stated in a sentence, is called as the dash (—). Dashes are used to separate groups of words, not to separate parts of words like a hyphen does. You have been successfully subscribed to the Grammarly blog. Dash has many … They cause trouble wherever they go.”, Carved into the dresser drawer was a faded inscription: “Made for Kristina, by your de——ted sailor.”. Accessed 20 Jan. 2021. This is a punctuation lesson on using dashes. Dashes (—) can be used to indicate an interruption, particularly in transcribed speech: The chemistry student began to say, “An organic solvent will only work with—” when her cell phone rang. See the following examples: After a split second of hesitation, the second baseman leaped for the ball (or, rather, limped for it). Hopes of a peaceful settlement have been dashed. Rather than placing parentheses around a phrase within a statement, writers … 2 : a small usually distinctive … The dash (–) The dash (–) - Easy Learning Grammar A spaced dash (i.e. While a dash might resemble a hyphenor minus sign at quick glance, it is longer. When you want to generate strong emotion in your writing or create a more casual tone, use em dashes. A period declares the end of a sentence. If you dash somewhere, you run … Definition of 'dash'. The scheduled window for the cable installation is 1:00–3:00pm. Writing, grammar, and communication tips for your inbox. It is used in the same manner as a parenthetical expression. An en dash or en rule (–) is wider than a hyphen (-) and narrower than an em dash (–). See more. With dash: The man—he was from Ames, Iowa—arrived. to destroy somebody’s hopes by making what they were hoping for impossible. The 2015–2016 fiscal year was the most profitable year for the new business. Dashes replace otherwise mandatory punctuation, such as the commas after Iowa and 2013 in the following examples:. The most common types of dashes are the en dash (–) and the em dash (—). An en dash … to indicate a sudden change of subject or grammatical anacoluthon, or in pairs to enclose a parenthetical remark 14 the symbol () … He is afraid of two things—spiders and senior prom. It’s longer than a hyphen and is commonly used to indicate a range or a pause. An em dash, or long dash, is used:. A dash (-) is a punctuation mark used primarily for separating parenthetical statements from the main sentence of an article. For example, em dashes are used when a … Without dash: The man from Ames, Iowa, arrived. The en dash is neglected by many writers except as a substitute for an em dash, and even then it is increasingly … Splitting syllables at the end of lines. What made you want to look up dash? A dash is a little horizontal line that floats in the middle of a line of text (not at the bottom: that’s an underscore). A former employee of the accused company, ———, offered a statement off the record. . He is afraid of two things: spiders and senior prom. Her hopes were cruelly dashed when her parents … It’s also … The Nobel Prize–winning author will be reading from her book at the library tonight. Dash is also used as a noun to mean a small amount of something added to a mixture. They can … The em dash (—) sets off a word or clause and adds emphasis. Definition of dash (Entry 2 of 2) 1 a grammar : a punctuation mark — that is used especially to indicate a break in the thought or structure of a sentence. 1. verb. Recall that en dashes are slightly shorter in length than em dashes. Use a dash … It … In these cases, em dashes appear in pairs or threesomes. It’s not interchangeable with other types of dashes. Which of the following refers to thin, bending ice, or to the act of running over such ice. These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dash.' “H—— are all the same. We often use the hyphen to break a word into two parts when … Dashes in Dialogues. When to Use En Dash. The most common versions of the dash are the en dash –, longer than the hyphen; the em dash —, longer than the en dash; and the horizontal bar ―, whose length varies across typefaces but tends to be between those of the en and em dashes. Send us feedback. Dashes … The pro-choice–pro-life argument is always a heated one. Showing Ranges in Numbers and Dates. The teacher assigned pages 101–181 for tonight’s reading material. In this context, the dash should be interpreted as meaning either “to” or “through.” Consider the examples below: The en dash may also be used to indicate a connection between two words. To move with haste; rush: dashed into the room; dashed down the hall. After a split second of hesitation, the second baseman leaped for the ball—or, rather, limped for it. The two most common dash variants are the en dash (–) and the em dash (—). approximately the width of the letter “m,” which is where it earns its name Use a dash to indicate a summarising clause. Or, it can signal an interruption (see our article on interrupting sentences for more on that!) One current definition of the word dash is "to break," … If you’re not sure whether a compound word has a hyphen or not, check your preferred dictionary. However, em dashes are more emphatic than colons. es v. intr. As soon as the rain dies down I'm going to make a dash for it (= run somewhere very fast). 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Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. dash somebody’s hopes. ... (Grammar… The en dash is often used to indicate spans of time or ranges of numbers. Use a dash to show hesitation. 'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'? Depending on the typeface, a dash might also be thinner and slightly higher above the baseline of text. Dashcam definition, a video camera attached to the windshield or dashboard of a vehicle, used to record the view outside, or, with a double lens, both outside and inside the vehicle. Delivered to your inbox! Find out what makes it stand out from other dashes! or amplification (“expanding”) of an idea. b : a stroke of a pen. The dash is a punctuation mark that is similar in appearance to the hyphen and minus sign but differs from these symbols in length and, in some fonts, height above the baseline. There was a mad dash for the exit. Period (.) Example: I–I–I don't know. 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