symbol
nounverbcommon in dialogue
- //ˈsɪmbəl//
A character or glyph representing an idea, concept or object.
noun
- 1
A character or glyph representing an idea, concept or object.
"$" is the symbol for dollars in the US and some other countries.
Chinese people use word symbols for writing.
- 2
A thing considered the embodiment or cardinal exemplar of a concept, theme, or other thing.
The lion is the symbol of courage; the lamb is the symbol of meekness or patience.
- 3
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.
- 4
A summary of a dogmatic statement of faith.
The Apostles, Nicene Creed and the confessional books of Protestantism, such as the Augsburg Confession of Lutheranism are considered symbols.
- 5
The numerical expression which defines a plane's position relative to the assumed axes.
- 6
obsoleteThat which is thrown into a common fund; hence, an appointed or accustomed duty.
They do their work in the days of peace […] and come to pay their symbol in a war or in a plague.
- 7
obsoleteShare; allotment.
The persons who are to be judged […] shall all appear to receive their symbol.
- 8
An internal identifier used by a debugger to relate parts of the compiled program to the corresponding names in the source code.
- 9
A signalling event on a communications channel; a signal that cannot be further divided into meaningful information.
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, “to throw together, dash together, compare, correspond, tally, come to a conclusion”), from σύν (sún, “with, together”) + βάλλω (bállō, “to throw, put”).
verb
- 1
To symbolize.
[…] They told me that the Holy Rood had lean'd / And bow'd above me; […] / [I]f it bow'd, whether it symbol'd ruin / Or glory, who shall tell?
Forms
- plural
- symbols
- past tense
- symboled, symbolled
- past participle
- symboled, symbolled
- present participle
- symboling, symbolling
- third person singular
- symbols
symbol · A character or glyph representing an idea, concept or object.
symbolic · Pertaining to a symbol.sympathetic · Of, related to, feeling, showing, or characterized by…sympathize · To have, show or express sympathy; to be affected by feelings…