Sigil (computer programming)

In computer programming, a sigil (/ˈsɪdʒəl/) is a symbol attached to a variable name, showing the variable's datatype or scope, usually a prefix, as in $foo, where $ is the sigil.

Sigil, from the Latin sigillum, meaning a "little sign", means a sign or image supposedly having magical power. In 1999 Philip Gwyn adopted the term "to mean the funny character at the front of a Perl variable".