icon

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: i=con

CIDE DICTIONARY

icon, n. [L., fr. Gr. e'ikw`n.].

•  An image or representation; a portrait or pretended portrait.  [1913 Webster]

  "Netherlands whose names and icons are published."  [1913 Webster]
•  A sacred picture representing the Virgin Mary, Christ, a saint, or a martyr, and having the same function as an image of such a person in the Latin Church. The term is used especially for a highly stylized and conventionalized representation of a holy person, rich in symbolism and used in devotional services in many of the eastern Orthodox churches, especially the Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
•  a symbol, especially a symbol whose form suggests its meaning or the object it represents.  [PJC]
•  a graphical symbol for a data object whose form suggests the nature or function of the object; especially, such a symbol as viewed on the computer screen.

  "In a graphical user interface, pointing to and clicking on an icon may cause any of several types of actions, such as opening a file or executing a program, depending on how the icon properties are defined."  [PJC]
•  any object of uncritical devotion.  [PJC]

  "The former congresswoman and Vice-Presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro is still an icon to many party members."  [PJC]
•  an outstanding example of something which has come to represent the class of things to which it belongs; a paragon; used of persons as well as objects.  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

icon, n. (also ikon)
1 a devotional painting or carving, usu. on wood, of Christ or another holy figure, esp. in the Eastern Church.
2 an image or statue.
3 Computing a symbol or graphic representation on a VDU screen of a program, option, or window, esp. one of several for selection.
4 Linguistics a sign which has a characteristic in common with the thing it signifies.

Etymology

L f. Gk eikon image

THESAURUS

icon

Agnus Dei, Holy Grail, Host, Pieta, Sanctus bell, Sangraal, abstract, abstraction, altarpiece, ark, asperger, asperges, aspergillum, bambino, beadroll, beads, block print, candle, censer, certified copy, chaplet, ciborium, collage, color print, companion, copy, counterfeit, cross, crucifix, cruet, cyclorama, daub, dead ringer, diptych, double, duplicate, ectype, effigy, engraving, eucharistial, exact likeness, fair copy, faithful copy, fake, fellow, forgery, fresco, glosseme, holy cross, holy water, holy-water sprinkler, idol, illumination, illustration, image, imitation, incensory, lexeme, lexical form, likeness, living image, living picture, match, mate, matzo, menorah, mezuzah, mikvah, miniature, mirroring, model, monstrance, montage, morpheme, mosaic, mural, osculatory, ostensorium, panorama, paschal candle, pasticcio, pastiche, pax, phony, photograph, phrase, phylacteries, picture, portrait, prayer shawl, prayer wheel, print, pyx, reflection, relics, representation, reproduction, resemblance, rood, rosary, rubbing, sacramental, sacred relics, sacring bell, semasiological unit, semblance, sememe, shadow, shofar, sign, signifiant, significant, similitude, simulacrum, spit and image, spitting image, stained glass window, stencil, still life, sukkah, symbol, tabernacle, tableau, tallith, tapestry, term, thurible, token, trace, tracing, triptych, twin, type, urceole, veronica, very image, very picture, vigil light, votive candle, wall painting, word

ROGET THESAURUS

icon

Representation

N representation, representment, imitation, illustration, delineation, depictment, imagery, portraiture, iconography, design, designing, art, fine arts, painting, sculpture, engraving, photography, cinematography, radiography, autoradiography, fluorography, sciagraphy, personation, personification, impersonation, drama, picture, photo, photograph, daguerreotype, snapshot, X-ray photo, movie film, movie, tracing, scan, TV image, video image, image file, graphics, computer graphics, televideo, closed-circuit TV, copy, drawing, sketch, drought, draft, plot, chart, figure, scheme, image, likeness, icon, portrait, striking likeness, speaking likeness, very image, effigy, facsimile, figure, figure head, puppet, doll, figurine, aglet, manikin, lay- figure, model, mammet, marionette, fantoccini, waxwork, bust, statue, statuette, ideograph, hieroglyphic, anaglyph, kanji, diagram, monogram, map, plan, chart, ground plan, projection, elevation (plan), ichnography, cartography, atlas, outline, scheme, view, radiograph, scotograph, sciagraph, spectrogram, heliogram, represent, representing, representative, illustrative, represented, imitative, figurative, iconic, like, graphic, cinquecento quattrocento, trecento.

VB copy, drawing, sketch, drought, draft, plot, chart, figure, scheme, image, likeness, icon, portrait, striking likeness, speaking likeness, very image, effigy, facsimile, figure, figure head, puppet, doll, figurine, aglet, manikin, lay- figure, model, mammet, marionette, fantoccini, waxwork, bust, statue, statuette, ideograph, hieroglyphic, anaglyph, kanji, diagram, monogram, map, plan, chart, ground plan, projection, elevation (plan), ichnography, cartography, atlas, outline, scheme, view, radiograph, scotograph, sciagraph, spectrogram, heliogram, V, represent, delineate, depict, depicture, portray, take a likeness, catch a likeness, hit off, photograph, daguerreotype, snapshot, figure, shadow forth, shadow out, adumbrate, body forth, describe, trace, copy, mold, dress up, illustrate, symbolize, paint, carve, engrave, personate, personify, impersonate, assume a character, pose as, act, play, mimic, hold the mirror up to nature.