title: Gitignore Asterisk Tilde
body: <p>I have a <code>.gitignore</code> file for an open source project that contains the following line:</p>
  
  <pre><code>*~
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>What does this line - an asterisk followed by a tilde - mean in the context of a <code>.gitignore</code> file?</p>
  
  <p>I have tried Googling but to no avail.</p>