virgule

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French virgule, from Latin virgula (“twig; scratch comma”), from virga (“rod, branch”) + -ulus (“forming diminutives”). Doublet of virgula.

noun

1. (typography, obsolete or historical) A medieval punctuation mark similar to the slash ⟨/⟩ or pipe ⟨[[Unsupported titles/`vert`#Translingual||]]⟩ and used as a scratch comma and caesura mark.
   Other Chaucerian manuscripts had the virgule (or virgil or oblique: /) at the middle of lines. 1990, John McDermott, Punctuation for Now, page 20
2. (typography, dated) A slash, ⟨/⟩ or ⟨／⟩.
   1. Used to mark line breaks within quotes.
3. (typography, dated) A pipe, ⟨[[Unsupported titles/`vert`#Translingual||]]⟩.
   1. (poetry) Used to mark metrical feet.