What is the proper name for the ÷ symbol used in mathematics to indicate division?

The ÷ symbol is called the obelus, a term that dates back to ancient Greece, where it was originally used as a proofreading mark to indicate questionable or spurious passages in manuscripts. English mathematician Johann Rahn first used the obelus to represent division in his 1659 algebra textbook, and it later became common in elementary mathematics. Today, however, many higher-level mathematics texts prefer the slash (/) or the horizontal fraction bar to represent division, making the obelus far less common in advanced mathematical notation.