It is most likely a septuple star system,[5] consisting of two close groups (designated Nu Scorpii AB and CD) that are separated by 41 arcseconds.

The designations of its two constituent groups as Nu Scorpii AB and CD; of the component Nu Scorpii Aa, and of other components similarly lettered, derive from the convention used by the Washington Multiplicity Catalog (WMC) for multiple star systems, and adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

[13] Nu Scorpii bore the traditional name Jabbah, possibly from the Arabic Iklīl al Jabhah (إكليل الجبهة 'the crown of the forehead').

The WGSN decided to attribute proper names to individual stars rather than entire multiple systems.

[11] In Chinese astronomy, Nu Scorpii is called 鍵閉, Pinyin: Jiànbì, meaning Door Bolt, because it is marking itself and standing alone in the Door Bolt asterism, Room mansion (see : Chinese constellations).

Its components cannot be resolved but the stars' movements cause periodic Doppler shifts in their spectra.

[8] The brighter component, Nu Scorpii Aa, has a spectral type of B3V implying a B-type main sequence star.

The fainter component, Nu Scorpii Ab, is thought to have an apparent magnitude of 6.90.

The primary component of the system, Nu Scorpii C, is a late B-type giant with a spectral type of B9III.