hash

Everyday

1. The symbol # (also called hash sign, pound sign in the US, or number sign), used in hashtags and on phones. tree →
2. A dish of chopped cooked meat and potatoes fried together: corned beef hash. tree →
3. (informal) «Make a hash of something» means do it very badly. tree →
4. (computing) A code made from data by a fixed rule, used to check files and passwords. tree →
5. (slang) Short for hashish, an illegal drug made from cannabis. tree →
6. (verb) «Hash out» means to discuss something until you agree. tree →
7. To make hash of something can mean to wreck or destroy it completely. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life «press hash» on the phone means press #; #hashtags label posts online. In computing lessons, a hash turns a password into a scrambled code. In cooking, hash and hash browns (fried grated potato) are breakfast foods. In stories «made a hash of it» is a funny way to say «messed it up». Safety: drugs are illegal and harmful. Phrases: hash browns, make a hash of, hash out, hashtag.

Examples

• Type your PIN and then press hash. tree →
• We had corned beef hash for tea. tree →
• I made a total hash of my spelling test. tree →
• Hash browns are my favourite breakfast. tree →
• Websites store a hash of your password, not the password itself. tree →
• The two captains hashed out the rules before the game. tree →
• The # symbol is called hash in the UK and pound sign in the US. tree →
• The police found hash, an illegal drug, in the car. tree →

Note

Plural: hashes. In the UK # is «hash»; in the US it is often «pound sign» or «number sign»; in music ♯ is «sharp», a different symbol. Not related to «rash» or «harsh». The drug sense is slang: say «cannabis» in school writing.