Indicates this ASCII character: `
Character number 96, representable in HTML as `
Contrasts with apostrophe (or single quote), and double quote
In written text, this charcter, also known as a backquote, backprime, backgrave, or sometimes just grave, is often used incorrectly where an apostrophe is meant. Also, it is used either singly or doubly to open quotations that are subsequently closed by single or double apostrophe, respectively. This use creates the illusion of smart quotes, as opposed to the regular quote character which faces in only one direction.
"Without simulated smart quotes."
``With simulated smart quotes.''
Although the simulated smart quotes may improve readability in natural language texts, they create an ugly dimorphism in the use of this character and many consider it to be an abuse of the character set.
Some international keyboard drivers are configurable to allow two-stroke graved characters. When the backquote key is pressed, if the second key pressed is a letter that is able to carry a grave accent, the complete accented character is input.
In programming languages, the uses of the backquote are few and unrelated to its use in natural language texts.
In Unix shell languages, including sh, csh, and their derivatives, as well as Perl, text appearing between backquotes is executed as a command, and the evaluation of the full backquoted expression is the standard output of that command. Additionally, Perl uses a backgrave to indicate an identifier's membership in a package.
In LISP and its kin, lists may be quoted with the backquote, resulting in literal evaluation similar to quotation with a single quote, excepting that elements in the list may be evaluated normally when prefixed by a comma.