Teardrop spoked asterisk (✻) is the Unicode character at U+273B in Dingbats. Official name: TEARDROP-SPOKED ASTERISK. It is a decorative asterisk used for bullets, accents, and ornamental typography.
Remember
Character ✻
Unicode U+273B
Hex entity ✻
Decimal ✻
CSS escape \273B
Named entity (none)
Not the same ✼ · ✽ · *
Prefer ✻ or ✻ in HTML markup. You can also type ✻ in UTF-8. There is no named entity.
Using Hex Code: ✻
Using HTML Code: ✻
Using CSS Entity: ✻
Typed directly: ✻
Example: ✻ Featured item
How It Works
1. Hex:U+273B → ✻ in HTML. The browser turns it into ✻.
2. Decimal: same code point as 10043 → ✻. Same result as hex.
3. CSS: use \273B in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ✻ after the paragraph text.
4. Typed / example: paste ✻ in UTF-8, or write ✻ Featured item for a short decorative label.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with Teardrop Spoked Asterisk.
Named?
No named entity
HTML5 does not define a named entity for U+273B. Use ✻ or ✻.
*
Not ASCII *
Plain * is U+002A. Prefer it in code and plain footnotes; use U+273B for the Dingbat style.
✼
Not open-centre or heavy
U+273C (✼) and U+273D (✽) are neighboring Dingbat asterisks with different weights and centres.
Fonts
Dingbat font coverage
Some UI fonts omit ornamental Dingbats. Prefer a font that covers this block for decorative bullets.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\273B belongs in CSS strings. ✻ / ✻ belong in HTML.
A11y
Decorative vs meaningful
If the mark is decorative, keep nearby text clear. If it carries meaning (for example a footnote marker), expose that meaning in accessible text.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Teardrop spoked asterisk (U+273B) and its entity forms (✻, ✻, CSS \\273B) are supported in all mainstream browsers. Visible glyphs depend on Dingbat font coverage.
✓ Universal support
Teardrop Spoked Asterisk (✻)
Encode with hex, decimal, CSS escape, or type the character — same code point everywhere encoding is supported.
100%Browser coverage
Google ChromeSupported
Yes
Microsoft EdgeSupported
Yes
Mozilla FirefoxSupported
Yes
Apple SafariSupported
Yes
OperaSupported
Yes
Internet ExplorerAll versions
Yes
U+273B / entitiesFull support
Bottom line: Prefer ✻ or ✻ in HTML. Use \\273B only inside CSS content. There is no named entity.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: this mark is U+273B (decimal 10043) — glyph ✻.
HTML: use ✻ or ✻ — no named entity; typing ✻ also works.
CSS: use \273B inside content for generated text.
Meaning:✻ = teardrop-spoked asterisk — not *, not ✼, not ✽.
One line:U+273B → ✻ / ✻ / CSS \273B.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use ✻ (hex), ✻ (decimal), type ✻ directly in UTF-8, or the CSS escape \273B in content. There is no named HTML entity for U+273B.
U+273B (TEARDROP-SPOKED ASTERISK). Hex 273B, decimal 10043. It belongs to Dingbats (U+2700–U+27BF).
No. HTML5 does not define a named entity for this character. Use numeric forms ✻ or ✻. For a plain asterisk, type * or use a math asterisk entity when appropriate.
Use it for decorative bullets, footnotes, and ornamental accents when a Dingbat glyph fits the design. Prefer ASCII * for code, footnotes in plain text, or multiplication when that is the intended meaning.
HTML entities (✻ or ✻) go in markup. The CSS escape \273B goes in stylesheet strings (usually content on ::before/::after).
No. ✻ is the teardrop-spoked asterisk (U+273B). ✼ is open-centre teardrop-spoked (U+273C). ✽ is heavy teardrop-spoked (U+273D). * is the ASCII asterisk (U+002A).
🤔
Did you know?
Teardrop spoked asterisk (✻) is Unicode U+273B (decimal 10043) — TEARDROP-SPOKED ASTERISK in Dingbats. HTML5 has no named entity — use ✻ or ✻. Do not confuse it with open-centre (U+273C, ✼), heavy (U+273D, ✽), or ASCII *.
