am ‧ per ‧ sand /ˈæmpəsænd $ -ər-/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1800-1900 ; Origin: and (&) per se and '(the character) & by itself (is the word) and' ]
the sign ‘&’ that means ‘and’:
Mills & Boon
• • •
THESAURUS
■ other marks used in writing
▪ angle brackets British English a pair of signs <> used for enclosing information
▪ slash a line / that is used to separate words, numbers, or letters
▪ backslash a line that is used to separate words, numbers, or letters
▪ asterisk the sign * that is used especially to mark something interesting or important
▪ at sign the sign @ that is used especially in email addresses
▪ ampersand the sign & that means ‘and’