Final answer:
The boolean operator represented by a "|" (vertical line) is the OR operation, which is used in boolean logic to combine conditions, returning true if any condition is true.
Step-by-step explanation:
The boolean operator represented by a "|" (vertical line) is the OR operation. In boolean logic, the OR operator is used to combine two conditions and will evaluate to true if at least one of the conditions is true. It's one of the basic operators in boolean algebra and is essential in constructing logical statements that can be evaluated as either true or false, particularly useful in programming, mathematics, and database searches. For instance, in a search query, using OR allows you to find results that match one term or another, expanding the scope of the search.