The term 'minus signs' is often used to refer to endashes, which are 8-letter symbols used in writing to indicate a range of values or dates. Endashes are usually represented by two hyphens (--) and are used to separate words or numbers in a sentence. They are also used to indicate a pause or break in a sentence. Endashes are commonly used in writing to indicate a range of values or dates, such as in the phrase 'January 1--December 31'.