dinkus

• dingus

Possibly from German Ding (“thing”).

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

dinkus (plural dinkuses)

1. A small drawing or artwork used for decoration in a magazine or periodical.
2. (typography) A line of three asterisks (* * *).
   • 2023 January 31, Elisabeth Ribbans, “The perils of using journalist jargon outside the newsroom”, in The Guardian‎:

     More generally a dinkus is a small ornamentation, usually three asterisks, that break up sections of a book chapter, article or other written text.

• asterism

• Daisy Alioto (8 June 2018), “Ode to the Dinkus”, in Paris Review, retrieved 12 August 2019