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”).
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
Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences 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.
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Chemistry, Crystallography, Natural sciences, Physical sciences The numerical expression which defines a plane's position relative to the assumed axes.
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Obsolete 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.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.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:
8
Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Programming, Sciences An internal identifier used by a debugger to relate parts of the compiled program to the corresponding names in the source code.
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?1877, Alfred Tennyson, Harold: A Drama, London: Henry S. King & Co., →OCLC, Act V, scene i, page 128: