The symbol *.
"She placed an asterisk next to the footnote in her essay."
To mark or replace with an asterisk symbol (*); star.
"The editor marked every missing word in the text with an asterisk."
In plain English: To asterisk something means to mark it with an asterisk symbol, usually so readers know there is extra information or that part should be ignored.
"She asterisked the sensitive question in her report to avoid drawing attention to it."
Usage: Use this verb when you need to indicate that information has been omitted from text, such as in footnotes or censored passages. It is specifically for replacing words rather than highlighting important points like bolding would do.
The word "asterisk" comes from the Ancient Greek asteriskos, meaning "small star." It is ultimately derived from a root related to burning or glowing, which gave rise to the concept of stars in the sky.