at sign

The at sign (@), which is shorthand for the word "at," has become widely identified around the world due to its use in Internet e-mail addresses. Officially known as an "asperand," the at sign separates the recipient's name from the domain name; for example, jsmith@abc.com. In 1971, Ray Tomlinson of Bolt Beranek and Newman chose the @ sign as a separator symbol for one of the first e-mail systems. See Internet address.

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