〆

〆 U+3006, 〆 IDEOGRAPHIC CLOSING MARK ← 々 [U+3005] CJK Symbols and Punctuation 〇 → [U+3007]

Japanese

Alternative forms

• (uncommon) 乄

Glyph origin

A 国字 (kokuji, “Japanese-coined character”). From 占める (shimeru), as cursive form of top component ト (also 〆). Then applied to other kanji of the same pronunciation, namely 締め, 閉め, 絞め, and 搾め, all pronounced しめ shime. Sense of “closed, fastened” is due to 閉める (shimeru, “to close”) and 締める (shimeru, “to fasten”).

Kanji

〆(しめ) 

1. "letter closed" character (from 閉める, close)
2. sum (from 〆高, 締高, sum)
3. measurement of paper
4. bundle (from 締める, fasten)

Usage notes

〆 is primarily used as an abbreviation for 締(し)め (shime), most commonly in 〆(しめ)切(きり) (shimekiri), as an abbreviation for 締(しめ)切(きり) (shimekiri, “deadline; locked (door)”); also 締(し)める (shimeru) as 〆(しめ)る (shimeru) and 締(シメ)高(ダカ) (shimedaka) as 〆(シメ)高(ダカ) (shimedaka). It is also sometimes used for 閉(し)め (shime, “closed envelope”). Even more rarely, it is used to abbreviate other kanji, including 絞(し)め (shime), 占(し)め (shime), and 搾(し)め (shime), as in 〆(しめ)粕(かす) (shimekasu) for 搾(し)め糟(かす) (shimekasu)) There is also occasional use of 乄, as in 乄(シメ)高(ダカ) (shimedaka).

See also

• (Japanese ligatures and scribal abbreviations) 〆(しめ) (shime), 𪜈(とも) (tomo), ゟ (yori), ヿ (koto), 𬼀(して) (shite), 〼(ます) (masu), ヶ (“graphical abbreviation for 箇”), 々 (“iteration mark”), ゝ (“iteration mark for hiragana”), ヽ (“iteration mark for katakana”)