black medium square
Unicode: 25FC FE0F
Description
A large black square. The 'FE0F' is a variation selector that indicates an emoji-style display.
Group:
Symbols > geometric
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Generally does not convey an emotion on its own. It is a geometric shape.
Backstory
The 'BLACK LARGE SQUARE' (U+25FC) is a geometric shape from the Unicode Miscellaneous Symbols and Pictographs block. The 'VS16' (U+FE0F) is a variation selector that explicitly requests an emoji-style rendering, ensuring it appears as a colored, typically black square rather than a simple typographic character in plain text.
Usage Examples
- As a design element: '⬛⬜⬛⬜'
- To represent an empty space or 'blackout': 'The screen went ⬛'
- In abstract emoji art or patterns: '⬛️🟦⬛️🟨'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Used as a placeholder, to denote a space, or as a building block in abstract emoji art. Sometimes used to represent a blackout or an empty space in a visual context.
East Asian culture:
Similar usage to Western culture; can be part of 'emoji art' constructions or simple visual markers.