Symbol

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: sym=bol

CIDE DICTIONARY

Symbol, n. [L. symbolus, symbolum, Gr. sy`mbolon a sign by which one knows or infers a thing, from symba`llein to throw or put together, to compare; sy`n with + ba`llein to throw: cf. F. symbole. Cf. Emblem, Parable.].

•  A visible sign or representation of an idea; anything which suggests an idea or quality, or another thing, as by resemblance or by convention; an emblem; a representation; a type; a figure; as, the lion is the symbol of courage; the lamb is the symbol of meekness or patience.  [1913 Webster]

  "A symbol is a sign included in the idea which it represents, e. g., an actual part chosen to represent the whole, or a lower form or species used as the representative of a higher in the same kind."  [1913 Webster]
•  Any character used to represent a quantity, an operation, a relation, or an abbreviation.  [1913 Webster]

  " In crystallography, the symbol of a plane is the numerical expression which defines its position relatively to the assumed axes."  [1913 Webster]
•  An abstract or compendium of faith or doctrine; a creed, or a summary of the articles of religion.  [1913 Webster]
•  That which is thrown into a common fund; hence, an appointed or accustomed duty.  [1913 Webster]

  "They do their work in the days of peace . . . and come to pay their symbol in a war or in a plague."  [1913 Webster]
•  Share; allotment.  [1913 Webster]

  "The persons who are to be judged . . . shall all appear to receive their symbol."  [1913 Webster]
•  An abbreviation standing for the name of an element and consisting of the initial letter of the Latin or New Latin name, or sometimes of the initial letter with a following one; as, C for carbon, Na for sodium (Natrium), Fe for iron (Ferrum), Sn for tin (Stannum), Sb for antimony (Stibium), etc. See the list of names and symbols under Element.  [1913 Webster]

  " In pure and organic chemistry there are symbols not only for the elements, but also for their grouping in formulas, radicals, or residues, as evidenced by their composition, reactions, synthesis, etc. See the diagram of Benzene nucleus, under Benzene."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Emblem; figure; type. See Emblem.

Symbol, v. t. 

 To symbolize.  Tennyson.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Symbol, n. & v.
--n.
1 a thing conventionally regarded as typifying, representing, or recalling something, esp. an idea or quality (white is a symbol of purity).
2 a mark or character taken as the conventional sign of some object, idea, function, or process, e.g. the letters standing for the chemical elements or the characters in musical notation.
--v.tr. (symbolled, symbolling; US symboled, symboling) symbolize.

Derivative

symbology n.

Etymology

ME f. L symbolum f. Gk sumbolon mark, token (as SYN-, ballo throw)

DEVIL DICTIONARY

Symbol

n. Something that is supposed to typify or stand for something else. Many symbols are mere "survivals" -- things which having no longer any utility continue to exist because we have inherited the tendency to make them; as funereal urns carved on memorial monuments. They were once real urns holding the ashes of the dead. We cannot stop making them, but we can give them a name that conceals our helplessness.

THESAURUS

Symbol

abbreviation, accent, accent mark, acronym, agent, allegory, alphabet, alphabetic character, alternate, alternative, analogy, armory, arms, art, attribute, backup, badge, badge of office, badges, banner, bar, baton, bearing, binary digit, bit, blazonry, blueprint, brand, brassard, button, cancel, cap and gown, case, case in point, chain, chain of office, change, changeling, character, charactering, characterization, charactery, chart, choreography, cipher, class ring, coat of arms, cockade, code, collar, colophon, comparison, conventional representation, conventional symbol, copy, counterfeit, crest, cross, cryptogram, custos, dance notation, decoration, delineation, demonstration, depiction, depictment, deputy, design, device, diagram, digit, direct, dot, double, drama, drawing, dress, dummy, eagle, emblem, emblems, ensigns, equal, equivalent, ersatz, escutcheon, example, exchange, exemplar, exemplification, explanation, exponent, expression mark, fake, fasces, father symbol, fermata, fertility symbol, figuration, figure, figurehead, fill-in, flag, fleur-de-lis, ghost, ghostwriter, glosseme, graph, grapheme, hammer and sickle, heraldry, hieroglyphic, hold, icon, iconography, iconology, ideogram, illustration, image, imagery, imaging, imitation, indication, initialism, insignia, instance, key signature, lapel pin, lead, letter, lexeme, lexical form, lexigraphic character, ligature, limning, livery, locum tenens, logo, logogram, logograph, logotype, love knot, mace, makeshift, mantle, map, mark, markings, measure, medal, metaphor, metonymy, metronomic mark, monogram, morpheme, mortarboard, mother symbol, motif, musical notation, next best thing, notation, note, number, numeral, numero, object lesson, old school tie, password, pattern, pause, pennant, personnel, phallic symbol, phonetic character, phonetic symbol, phony, phrase, pictogram, pictographic character, picturization, pin, pinch hitter, plan, portraiture, portrayal, prefigurement, presa, presentment, printing, projection, proxy, realization, regalia, relevant instance, relief, rendering, rendition, replacement, representation, representative, reserves, ring, ringer, rose, schema, school ring, score, script, second string, secondary, segno, semasiological unit, sememe, shamrock, shibboleth, sigillography, sign, signature, signifiant, significant, skull and crossbones, slur, spares, sphragistics, staff, stamp, stand-in, standard, sub, substituent, substitute, substitution, succedaneum, superseder, supplanter, surrogate, swastika, swell, syllabary, syllabic, symbolic system, symbolism, symbolization, symbology, synecdoche, tablature, tartan, tempo mark, term, third string, thistle, tie, time signature, token, totem, totem pole, type, typical example, understudy, uniform, universal symbol, utility player, verge, vicar, vice-president, vice-regent, vinculum, wand, watchword, word, writing, written character

ROGET THESAURUS

Symbol

Number

N number, symbol, numeral, figure, cipher, digit, integer, counter, round number, formula, function, series, sum, difference, complement, subtrahend, product, multiplicand, multiplier, multiplicator, coefficient, multiple, dividend, divisor, factor, quotient, submultiple, fraction, rational number, surd, irrational number, transcendental number, mixed number, complex number, complex conjugate, numerator, denominator, decimal, circulating decimal, repetend, common measure, aliquot part, prime number, prime, relative prime, prime factor, prime pair, reciprocal, totient, binary number, octal number, hexadecimal number, permutation, combination, variation, election, ratio, proportion, comparison, progression, arithmetical progression, geometrical progression, harmonical progression, percentage, permilage, figurate numbers, pyramidal numbers, polygonal numbers, power, root, exponent, index, logarithm, antilogarithm, modulus, base, differential, integral, fluxion, fluent, numeral, complementary, divisible, aliquot, reciprocal, prime, relatively prime, fractional, decimal, figurate, incommensurable, proportional, exponential, logarithmic, logometric, differential, fluxional, integral, totitive, positive, negative, rational, irrational, surd, radical, real, complex, imaginary, finite, infinite, impossible, numerically, modulo.

Indication

N indication, symbolism, symbolization, semiology, semiotics, semeiology, semeiotics, Zeitgeist, characteristic, diagnostic, lineament, feature, trait, fingerprint, voiceprint, footprint, noseprint, cloven hoof, footfall, recognition (memory), diagnostic, divining rod, detector, sign, symbol, index, indice, indicator, point, pointer, exponent, note, token, symptom, dollar sign, dollar mark, type, figure, emblem, cipher, device, representation, epigraph, motto, posy, gesture, gesticulation, pantomime, wink, glance, leer, nod, shrug, beck, touch, nudge, dactylology, dactylonomy, freemasonry, telegraphy, chirology, byplay, dumb show, cue, hint, clue, clew, key, scent, signal, signal post, rocket, blue light, watch fire, watch tower, telegraph, semaphore, flagstaff, cresset, fiery cross, calumet, heliograph, guidon, headlight, mark, scratch, line, stroke, dash, score, stripe, streak, tick, dot, point, notch, nick, print, imprint, impress, impression, keyboard symbols, printing symbols, red letter, italics, sublineation, underlining, bold font, jotting, note, annotation, reference, blaze, cedilla, guillemets, hachure, quotation marks, ", double quotes, " ", parentheses, "( )", brackets, "", braces, "", left arrow, "<", right arrow, ">", forward slash, "/", backward slash, "\", exclamation point, "!", commercial at, "@", pound sign, "#", percent sign, "%", carat, "", ampersand, "&", asterisk, "*", hyphen, "-", dash, "-", "_", em dash, "--", plus sign, "+", equals sign, "=", question mark, "?", period, ", ", semicolon, ", ", colon, ":", comma, ", ", apostrophe, "'", single quote, "'", tilde, "~", badge, criterion, countercheck, countermark, countersign, counterfoil, duplicate, tally, label, ticket, billet, letter, counter, check, chip, chop, dib, totem, tessera, card, bill, witness, voucher, stamp, cacher, trade mark, Hall mark, signature, mark, autograph, autography, attestation, hand, hand writing, sign manual, cipher, seal, sigil, signet, hand and seal, paraph, brand, superscription, indorsement, endorsement, password, watchword, catchword, security card, pass, passkey, credentials, open sesame, timbrology, mot de passe, mot du guet, pass-parole, shibboleth, title, heading, docket, address card, visiting card, carte de visite, insignia, banner, banneret, bannerol, bandrol, flag, colors, streamer, standard, eagle, labarum, oriflamb, oriflamme, figurehead, ensign, pennon, pennant, pendant, burgee, blue Peter, jack, ancient, gonfalon, union jack, banderole, old glory, quarantine flag, vexillum, yellow-flag, yellow jack, tricolor, stars and stripes, bunting, heraldry, crest, coat of arms, arms, armorial bearings, hatchment, escutcheon, scutcheon, shield, supporters, livery, uniform, cockade, epaulet, chevron, garland, love knot, favor, beacon, cairn, post, staff, flagstaff, hand, pointer, vane, cock, weathercock, guidepost, handpost, fingerpost, directing post, signpost, pillars of Hercules, pharos, bale-fire, beacon-fire, l'etoile du Nord, landmark, seamark, lighthouse, balize, polestar, loadstar, lodestar, cynosure, guide, address, direction, name, sign, signboard, warning, omen, prefigurement, trace, record, warning &c, alarm, scepter, trophy, gauge, milestone, milepost, brand, fool's cap, check, telltale, test, mileage ticket, milliary, notification, advertisement, word of command, call, bugle call, trumpet call, bell, alarum, cry, battle cry, rallying cry, angelus, reveille, sacring bell, sanctus bell, exposition &c (explanation), proof, pattern, indicating, indicative, indicatory, denotative, connotative, diacritical, representative, typical, symbolic, pantomimic, pathognomonic, symptomatic, characteristic, demonstrative, diagnostic, exponential, emblematic, armorial, individual, known by, recognizable by, indicated, pointed, marked, denotable, indelible, in token of, symbolically, in dumb show, ecce signum, ex ungue leonem, ex pede Herculem, vide ut supra, vultus ariete fortior.