obelus
Noun
Meaning
A mark [thus /, or Ö ]; -- so called as resembling a needle. In old MSS. or editions of the classics, it marks suspected passages or readings.
Source: Webster's dictionarySynonyms
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The obelus is believed to have been invented by the Homeric scholar Zenodotus as one of a system of editorial symbols.
St. Jerome (c. 347 – 420) used a simple horizontal slash for an obelus, but only for passages in the Old Testament.
The obelus accompanied by points is used when we do not know whether a passage should be suppressed or not." citation Medieval scribes used the symbols extensively for critical markings of manuscripts.