X mark


An X mark is used to indicate the concept of negation as well as an indicator. Its opposite is often considered to be the check mark or tick. In Japanese, the X mark is called "batsu" and can be expressed by someone by crossing their arms.
It is also used as a replacement for a signature for a person who is blind or illiterate and thus cannot write his or her name. Typically, the writing of an X used for this purpose must be witnessed to be valid.
As a verb, to ex off/out or to cross off/out means to add such a mark. It is quite common, especially on printed forms and document, for there to be squares in which to place x marks, or interchangeably checks.
It is also traditionally used on maps to indicate locations, most famously on treasure maps and as a set of three, and to mark jugs of moonshine for having completed all distillation steps, while also signifying its potency relative to legal spirits, which rarely exceed 80 proof.

Unicode

provides various related symbols, including:
SymbolUnicode Code point Name
☐U+2610BALLOT BOX
☒U+2612BALLOT BOX WITH X
✗U+2717BALLOT X
✘U+2718HEAVY BALLOT X

The mark is generally rendered with a less symmetrical form than the following cross-shaped mathematical symbols:
SymbolUnicode Code point Name
×U+00D7MULTIPLICATION SIGN
╳U+2573BOX DRAWINGS LIGHT DIAGONAL CROSS
☓U+2613SALTIRE
✕U+2715MULTIPLICATION X
✖U+2716HEAVY MULTIPLICATION X
❌U+274CCROSS MARK
❎U+274ENEGATIVE SQUARED CROSS MARK
⨉U+2A09N-ARY TIMES OPERATOR
⨯U+2A2FVECTOR OR CROSS PRODUCT
?U+1F5D9CANCELLATION X
?U+1F5F4BALLOT SCRIPT X
?U+1F7A9LIGHT SALTIRE

Footnotes