Leftwards Dashed Arrow
Block: Arrows
- Symbol
- ⇠
- Unicode
U+21E0- Unicode name
- LEFTWARDS DASHED ARROW
- Block
- Arrows
- Category
- Symbol, Other
- Type
- Unicode symbol
Leftwards Dashed Arrow (⇠) is encoded as U+21E0 and has the formal Unicode name LEFTWARDS DASHED ARROW. Unicode classifies it as Symbol, Other in the Arrows block. Its name places it in the arrow/directional family, which gives the page a narrower identity than the glyph alone. Separately encoded named neighbors include ⇢ Rightwards Dashed Arrow (U+21E2); those records should be compared by name and code point rather than merged because their shapes or terminology are related.
Reading Leftwards Dashed Arrow in Context
⇠ is encoded as U+21E0 and classified as Symbol, Other. Its formal name narrows it to the arrow/directional family rather than leaving the mark as an unidentified shape.
The Unicode identity and the surrounding document answer different questions: the code point tells you which character is present, while the surrounding formula, interface, document, or notation system determines the local interpretation. Keeping those layers separate prevents a visual guess from being treated as a character definition.
Looking for a different mark? Try what does ⇠ mean? and identify it from the character, Unicode value, or appearance.
Do Not Collapse Leftwards Dashed Arrow Into Nearby Named Variants
Unicode stores ⇠ as U+21E0, while nearby records include ⇢ Rightwards Dashed Arrow (U+21E2). These are separate encoded identities, not alternate font drawings of one character.
The comparison is useful because a shared word in the name, a mirrored direction, or a similar outline can make two symbols appear interchangeable. When the distinction matters, compare the complete Unicode name and code point before replacing one record with another.
Digital Representations of U+21E0
U+21E0 = decimal 8672 = HTML ⇠ / ⇠. A Unicode escape-style form is u21E0. Its UTF-8 bytes are E2 87 A0.
Use these identifiers in markup, source code, exports, or character diagnostics when the glyph alone is not enough.