Definition of SYMBOL

symbol

Plural: symbols

Noun

  • an arbitrary sign (written or printed) that has acquired a conventional significance
  • something visible that by association or convention represents something else that is invisible
    • "the eagle is a symbol of the United States"
  • A character or glyph representing an idea, concept or object.
  • A thing considered the embodiment or cardinal exemplar of a concept, theme, or other thing.
  • A type of noun whereby the form refers to the same entity independently of the context; a symbol arbitrarily denotes a referent. See also icon and index.
  • A summary of a dogmatic statement of faith.
  • The numerical expression which defines a plane's position relative to the assumed axes.
  • That which is thrown into a common fund; hence, an appointed or accustomed duty.
  • Share; allotment.
  • An internal identifier used by a debugger to relate parts of the compiled program to the corresponding names in the source code.
  • A signalling event on a communications channel; a signal that cannot be further divided into meaningful information.

Verb

  • To symbolize.

Examples

  • ""$" is the symbol for dollars in the US and some other countries."
  • "Chinese people use word symbols for writing."
  • "The Apostles, Nicene Creed and the confessional books of Protestantism, such as the Augsburg Confession of Lutheranism are considered symbols."
  • "The lion is the symbol of courage; the lamb is the symbol of meekness or patience."

Origin / Etymology

From French symbole, from Latin symbolus, symbolum (“a sign, mark, token, symbol, in Late Latin also a creed”), from Ancient Greek σύμβολον (súmbolon, “a sign by which one infers something; a mark, token, badge, ticket, tally, check, a signal, watchword, outward sign”), from συμβάλλω (sumbállō, “I throw together, dash together, compare, correspond, tally, come to a conclusion”), from σύν (sún, “with, together”) + βάλλω (bállō, “I throw, put”).

Synonyms

symbolic representation, symbolisation, symbolization

Scrabble Score: 13

symbol is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
symbol is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
symbol is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 15

symbol is a valid Words With Friends word