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Vinony

symbol

noun

  1. logical symbol
  2. something that represents an idea, a process, or a physical entity
L12163 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈsɪmbəl/

noun

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”).

  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. That 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. Share; 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.

verb

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”).

  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?”