dashed

Dashed is the past participle and adjective form of dash. As an adjective, it refers to something marked by short, evenly spaced segments, such as a dashed line or a dashed border. Dashed lines are used in writing and graphic design to indicate tentative paths, non-continuous boundaries, or to distinguish optional elements from solid ones. In typography and digital graphics, dashed patterns are created by repeating short line segments with gaps; variations include longer gaps or alternating segment lengths. A dashed line differs from a dotted line, which uses round points rather than straight segments, and from a solid line.

As a verb, dash is to run or move suddenly or quickly, or to strike or push with force. The form dashed is the simple past tense and past participle: “She dashed across the street” or “He dashed off a memo.”

In technology and design, dashed styles are implemented in CSS as border-style: dashed, or in SVG and canvas via stroke-dasharray, enabling dash patterns for strokes. Road markings use dashed lines to indicate lanes that may be crossed when it is safe; in user interfaces, dashed outlines can highlight focus or draggable elements.

Variations and related terms include dash, dash pattern, and dotted line. The concept is widely used across printing, graphic design, mapping, and digital aesthetics to convey non-continuity, uncertainty, or selectable boundaries without using solid visuals.