| Definitions | | zigamorph |
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noun (originally slang, now considered standard)
- In computer science generally, a marker or flag with all bits asserted that is the last element in a table of characters or otherwise used to signal the end of data.
- In w:Baudot_code, Baudot/Murray code specifically, the "LTRS" (w:Hexadecimal, hexadecimal 1F) character.
- In US w:ASCII, ASCII code specifically, the "Delete" (w:Hexadecimal, hexadecimal 7F) w:Control_character, control character. On old w:Punched_tape, punched tape devices, this character was often labeled "Rubout."
- In w:Unicode, Unicode specifically, the all-bits asserted (U+FFFF) element which is defined to be not a valid character.
Etymology: From the common practice of repeating the letter "Z" as a trailer or marker because it is the last character in the English alphabet; such an alphabetic character is notionally a "zigamorph" by functional analogy. Character elements in computer codes with all bits asserted acquire special significance with w:Punched_tape, punched tape because overpunching with all holes punched is an effective means of erasing any other character.
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