1.NounA diacritic used in most writing systems of the Indian subcontinent to signify the lack of an inherent vowel.
"a Devanagari example: क (ka) + ् = क् (k)"
2.NounA sign which serves the same purpose in any writing system.
3.NounA character which binds consonants into a conjunct or some other form of visual combination which is prototypically a visual indication that the first consonant does not have an implicit vowel