Mars symbol

Mars symbol

Arms of Karlskoga in Sweden

The Mars symbol (♂) is a depiction of a circle with an arrow emerging from it, pointing at an angle to the upper right. In old manuscripts, it is usually interpreted as the shield and spear from the war god Mars/Ares. The symbol has the Unicode entry U+2642. It is used in many fields as a representation of things historically associated with the mythological figure. These include:

In science:

• The male sex^[1]
• The planet Mars
• The chemical element iron

In mythology:

• The Roman god Mars or the Greek god Ares

In vehicles:

• Part of the logo for Volvo automobiles

In other uses:

• It is also seen as a shield and spear.
• The male connector in a pair of mating connectors or fasteners
• The masculist movement
• The men's bathroom

See also

• Venus symbol
• Gender symbol
• Classical planets in Western alchemy

References

1. Stearn, William T. (May 1962). "The Origin of the Male and Female Symbols of Biology". Taxon 11 (4): 109–113. doi:10.2307/1217734.