Double-Barbed Harpoon

⥌ is a double-barbed harpoon used in mathematical notation. Its formula or a nearby definition supplies the specific meaning; the shape alone does not.

Text symbol

What ⥌ means

Let the formula supply the reading. ⥌ is vertical: the upper barb points right, the lower one left.

Mathematical notation can give a symbol a local role; its outline alone does not name an operation.

Unicode Standard 12.1 (2019) says systems without ⥌’s glyph should show a missing-character mark; its appearance varies by app.

Why did ⥌ enter digital notation?

STIX proposed it for digital technical publishing.

In 1999, STIX—a consortium of scientific societies and technical publishers—proposed mathematical and technical symbols for digital exchange. Its list included ⥌ among eight double-barbed harpoons; Unicode encoded it in 2002.

Don't confuse it with

⥍

Up Barb Left Down Barb Right Harpoon

Its vertical barb positions are mirrored: the upper one points left and the lower one right; ⥌ reverses them.

Questions people ask

Why does ⥌ show as a box on some devices?

Because that device's fonts have no glyph for it. The character is still correct and still copies correctly — the box is a missing glyph, not a broken character.