symbol definition

English symbol definition

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”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: sĭmbəl, IPA^(key): /ˈsɪmbəl/

• Audio (GA)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪmbəl
• Hyphenation: sym‧bol
• Homophone: cymbal

Noun

symbol (plural symbols)

2. 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.

4. 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.

6. (linguistics) 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.
8. 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.

10. (crystallography) The numerical expression which defines a plane's position relative to the assumed axes.
12. (obsolete) That which is thrown into a common fund; hence, an appointed or accustomed duty.
    • 1651–1653, Jer[emy] Taylor, ΕΝΙΑΥΤΟΣ [Eniautos]. A Course of Sermons for All the Sundays of the Year. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Richard Royston […], published 1655, →OCLC:

      They do their work in the days of peace […] and come to pay their symbol in a war or in a plague.

14. (obsolete) Share; allotment.
    • 1651–1653, Jer[emy] Taylor, ΕΝΙΑΥΤΟΣ [Eniautos]. A Course of Sermons for All the Sundays of the Year. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Richard Royston […], published 1655, →OCLC:

      The persons who are to be judged […] shall all appear to receive their symbol.

16. (programming) An internal identifier used by a debugger to relate parts of the compiled program to the corresponding names in the source code.
18. (telecommunications) A signalling event on a communications channel; a signal that cannot be further divided into meaningful information.

Derived terms

Related terms

• diabolical
• symbolic
• symbolize
• symbolism

Translations

Verb

symbol (third-person singular simple present symbols, present participle symboling or symbolling, simple past and past participle symboled or symbolled)

1. To symbolize.
   • 1877, Alfred Tennyson, Harold: A Drama, London: Henry S. King & Co., →OCLC, Act V, scene i, page 128:

     […] 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?

Translations

See also

• punctuation

Further reading

• “symbol”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “symbol”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Czech symbol definition

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin symbolum.

Noun

symbol m inan

1. symbol

Declension

Related terms

Further reading

• symbol in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
• symbol in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989

Danish symbol definition

Etymology

From Ancient Greek σύμβολον (súmbolon, “a sign by which one infers something; a mark, token, badge, ticket, tally, check, a signal, watchword, outward sign”), via Latin symbolum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /symboːl/, [symˈb̥oːˀl]
• Rhymes: -oːl

Noun

symbol n (singular definite symbolet, plural indefinite symboler)

1. symbol

Inflection

Derived terms

• statussymbol

Related terms

• symbolik
• symbolisere
• symbolisme
• symbolist
• symbolsk

Further reading

• symbol on the Danish Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^da

Norwegian Bokmål symbol definition

Etymology

From Ancient Greek σύμβολον (súmbolon) via Latin symbolum.

Noun

symbol n (definite singular symbolet, indefinite plural symbol or symboler, definite plural symbola or symbolene)

1. a symbol

Derived terms

• statussymbol
• symbolisme

Related terms

• symbolisere
• symbolsk

References

• “symbol” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk symbol definition

Etymology

From Ancient Greek σύμβολον (súmbolon) via Latin symbolum.

Noun

symbol n (definite singular symbolet, indefinite plural symbol, definite plural symbola)

1. a symbol

Derived terms

• statussymbol
• symbolisme

Related terms

• symbolsk

References

• “symbol” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Polish symbol definition

Etymology

Borrowed from French symbole, from Latin symbolum, from Ancient Greek σῠ́μβολον (súmbolon).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɨm.bɔl/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɨmbɔl
• Syllabification: sym‧bol

Noun

symbol m inan

1. symbol

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

• symbol in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• symbol in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Swedish symbol definition

Etymology

From Latin symbolum, cognate with English symbol. Compare also Danish symbol, Norwegian Nynorsk symbol, and Norwegian Bokmål symbol.

Pronunciation

• audio

  (file)

Noun

symbol c

1. symbol

Declension

Declension of symbol
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	symbol	symbolen	symboler	symbolerna
Genitive	symbols	symbolens	symbolers	symbolernas

Derived terms

References

• symbol in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• symbol in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Welsh symbol definition

Alternative forms

• sumbol

Etymology

From English symbol, 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”).

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈsɨ̞mbɔl/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈsɪmbɔl/

Usage notes

Being a word borrowed from English derived from Greek, the y in symbol is pronounced /ɨ̞, ɪ/ rather than expected /ə/. To preserve consistency between pronunciation and spelling, some prefer to spell this word sumbol. Nevertheless, symbol is the more common spelling of the two. See pyramid/puramid, synthesis/sunthesis, system/sustem for similar examples.

Noun

symbol m (plural symbolau, not mutable)

1. symbol

Derived terms

• symbolaeth (“symbolism”)
• symbolaidd (“symbolic”)
• symboleiddio (“symbolise”)
• symbolwr (“symbolist”)
• symbolydd (“symbolist”)

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “symbol”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies