diacritic Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a mark added to a letter to indicate a special pronunciation
    diacritical mark.
  2. adjective satellite capable of distinguishing
    diacritical.
    • students having superior diacritic powers
    • the diacritic elements in culture"- S.F.Nadel

WordNet

Di`a*crit"ic, Di`a*crit"ic*al adjective (Also<
  • Diacritic
  • Diacritical
)
Etymology
Gr. , fr. to separate, distinguish; through + to separate. See Critic.
Definitions
  1. That separates or distinguishes; -- applied to points or marks used to distinguish letters of similar form, or different sounds of the same letter, as, a, &acr;, ä, &omac;, &ocr;, etc. "Diacritical points." Sir W. Jones.
    A glance at this typography will reveal great difficulties, which diacritical marks necessarily throw in the way of both printer and writer. A. J. Ellis.

Webster 1913