kreska

Kreska is a Polish noun meaning a line, stroke, or mark. The term comes from the root kresa, related to the idea of an edge or stripe. In everyday language, kreska denotes any straight line drawn or printed on a surface, as well as a mark made by a tool such as a pen.

In typography and writing, kreska refers to dash-like or line symbols. It is commonly used as a generic label for punctuation marks that appear as straight lines, including the hyphen (łącznik) used to join words and, in broader usage, longer dash forms such as en dash and em dash. The precise typographic name of a symbol depends on its length and function, but kreska serves as a general, non-technical term in everyday speech.

In handwriting and drawing, kreska describes a single stroke produced by a pen or pencil. It can refer to a vertical or horizontal stroke, a part of a letter’s formation, or a simple line in a sketch. The concept is used across disciplines to indicate a linear element created by a drawing instrument.

In mathematics and computing, kreska most often denotes a minus sign or subtraction operation, and by extension the negative value of a number. Depending on font and context, the same character may be described as a hyphen or a dash in other situations, but kreska emphasizes the straight-line form used as a division or negation symbol.