Left Dashed Arrow (⇠) is the Arrows character at Unicode U+21E0 (LEFTWARDS DASHED ARROW). It looks like a left arrow with a dashed shaft — useful for tentative or secondary navigation.
Remember
Character ⇠
Unicode U+21E0
Hex entity ⇠
Decimal ⇠
Named entity (none in HTML5)
CSS escape \21E0
Not the same ← (←) · ⇢ (right dashed)
All of these produce the same glyph: ⇠. Prefer ⇠ (or ⇠) when you need an entity — there is no named form.
Using Hex Code: ⇠
Using HTML Code: ⇠
Using CSS Entity: ⇠
⇠ Previous
How It Works
1. Hex:U+21E0 → ⇠ in HTML. The browser turns it into ⇠.
2. Decimal: same code point as 8672 → ⇠. Same result as hex.
3. CSS: use \21E0 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ⇠ after the paragraph text.
4. No named entity: HTML5 does not define &…; for this character — stick to numeric forms.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with Left Dashed Arrow.
Look-alikes
⇠ ≠ ← ≠ ⇢
Dashed left, solid left (←), and dashed right are different Unicode points.
Named
No &ldash; (etc.)
There is no HTML5 named entity. Guessing names will not work — use ⇠.
Fonts
Glyph may vary
Some fonts draw a clearer dashed shaft than others. Test on your target devices.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\21E0 belongs in CSS. ⇠ / ⇠ belong in HTML.
A11y
Add nearby words
Pair the glyph with text like “Previous”, or use aria-label on icon-only controls.
Semicolon
End references
Always finish with ; — write ⇠, not ⇠.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Left Dashed Arrow (U+21E0) and its entity forms (⇠, ⇠, CSS \\21E0) are supported in all modern browsers. Glyph coverage depends on the font.
✓ Universal encoding
Left Dashed Arrow (⇠)
Encode with hex, decimal, or CSS escape — or type ⇠ directly in UTF-8 HTML.
100%Browser coverage
Google ChromeSupported
Yes
Microsoft EdgeSupported
Yes
Mozilla FirefoxSupported
Yes
Apple SafariSupported
Yes
OperaSupported
Yes
Internet ExplorerAll versions
Yes
U+21E0Full support
Bottom line: Prefer ⇠ (or ⇠) in HTML. Use \\21E0 only inside CSS content. There is no named entity.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: this symbol is U+21E0 (decimal 8672).
HTML: use ⇠ or ⇠ — no named entity.
CSS: use \21E0 inside content for generated text.
Watch out: ⇠ ≠ ← (←) ≠ ⇢ (right dashed).
One line:U+21E0 → ⇠ / ⇠ / CSS \21E0.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use ⇠ (hex), ⇠ (decimal), or the CSS escape \21E0 in the content property. All render ⇠ when the font supports the Arrows block. There is no named HTML entity.
U+21E0 (LEFTWARDS DASHED ARROW). Hex 21E0, decimal 8672. It belongs to the Arrows block (U+2190–U+21FF).
No. HTML5 does not define a named entity for U+21E0. Use numeric references like ⇠ or ⇠.
Use it for tentative navigation, draft flow diagrams, or UI that needs a leftwards arrow with a dashed shaft. Prefer numeric entities when encoding must be explicit.
HTML entities (⇠ or ⇠) go in markup. The CSS escape \21E0 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ⇠.
← (U+2190, ←) is the solid leftwards arrow. U+21E2 (⇢) is the rightwards dashed arrow. U+21E0 is leftwards with a dashed shaft.
🤔
Did you know?
Left Dashed Arrow is Unicode U+21E0 (decimal 8672) — LEFTWARDS DASHED ARROW. HTML5 has no named entity — use ⇠ or ⇠. Do not confuse it with the solid left arrow ← (U+2190, ←) or the right dashed arrow (U+21E2, ⇢).
