Delete and close up mark

A delete loop with closing arcs.

Also known as: Dele and close up, Remove and join mark

Engineering & technicalEveryday & digitalStandard profile

Meanings

The proof correction mark instructing that matter be removed and the space it leaves closed.

Officially standardisedVerified fact
Instructs that matter be removed and the resulting space closed.
Contexts: Technical drawing
Officially standardisedVerified fact
Combines two marks into one rather than requiring both, because deleting a letter from the middle of a word and leaving a gap is almost never what is wanted.
Contexts: Technical drawing

Visual description

The looped delete stroke with two facing arcs added, the arcs curving towards each other above and below.

Symmetry: none
Orientation: upright

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is defined by a current official standard, but only a single source has been found so far.
Historical originLow confidence: Low confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is defined by a current official standard, but only a single source has been found so far.
Visual matchModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.

Sources

BS 5261 — Copy preparation and proof correction
British Standards Institution · retrieved 2026-08-21
The British Standard defining proof-correction marks and their marginal counterparts. Paywalled, so records describe the marks as documented in secondary summaries of the standard rather than quoting its text. Authoritative for British practice; American convention differs in several marks.

Last reviewed 2026-08-24

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Meanings

The proof correction mark instructing that matter be removed and the space it leaves closed.

Officially standardisedVerified fact

Instructs that matter be removed and the resulting space closed.

Contexts: Technical drawing

Officially standardisedVerified fact

Combines two marks into one rather than requiring both, because deleting a letter from the middle of a word and leaving a gap is almost never what is wanted.

Contexts: Technical drawing

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is defined by a current official standard, but only a single source has been found so far.
Historical originLow confidence: Low confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is defined by a current official standard, but only a single source has been found so far.
Visual matchModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.

Sources

BS 5261 — Copy preparation and proof correction
British Standards Institution · retrieved 2026-08-21
The British Standard defining proof-correction marks and their marginal counterparts. Paywalled, so records describe the marks as documented in secondary summaries of the standard rather than quoting its text. Authoritative for British practice; American convention differs in several marks.

Last reviewed 2026-08-24