The no symbol is a circle with a diagonal line through it, surrounding a picture used to indicate something is not permitted. The No symbol is usually colored red.
The Unicode for the no symbol (also called the "Prohibition" symbol) is U+20E0; ( ⃠). It appears on top of the character before it, so putting A⃠ will show A⃠. (Note: this will only appear if you have the font needed.) It also appears in the Webdings and Wingdings 2 fonts.
Uses
The "no" symbol is used on traffic signs, so that drivers can interpret traffic laws quickly while driving. For example:
- No left turn
- No U-turn
- No parking
By analogy, the symbol is used in public places to refer to prohibited actions not having to do with traffic:
- No smoking (with icon of a lit cigarette)
- No littering (with icon of person throwing trash)
- No swimming (with icon of swimmer)
It is also used on packages sent through the mail, and sealed boxes of merchandise that is sold in stores. Using a graphical symbol is useful when the item must be handled by people who understand different languages as it is transported. For example:
- Breakable; do not drop
- Keep away from magnetic fields
In product documentation, this may be accompanied by humorous drawings of the product being threatened by the prohibited items: for instance, a cartoon of a floppy disk being menaced by horseshoe magnets.
It is also used on clothing, linens, and other household products to indicate the care, treament or cleaning of the item. For example:
The punk band Bad Religion uses a "crossbuster" logo, with a black cross inside the circle.
Variants
In contrast, a green circle with no line through it may be used as a Yes symbol, indicating that the activity represented inside the circle is permitted.
In the UK, a filled blue circle (with no white inner circle) is used to indicate mandatory actions, e.g. the wearing of a helmet on a building site.
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