# icon

/ˈaɪkɑn/ (US) · /ˈaɪkɒn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/icon
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. computer symbol

noun · CEFR A2

a small picture on a computer or phone screen that you click to open a program.

For teachers: a small graphic representation on a graphical user interface that serves as a link to a file, program, or function.

- Click on the printer icon at the top of the screen to start.
- The designer updated the application's icons to ensure they remained legible even on high-resolution mobile displays.

### 2. famous person

noun · CEFR B2

a person or thing that is very famous and represents a certain style or idea.

For teachers: a person or thing regarded as a representative symbol or as worthy of veneration within a specific field or culture.

- She became a fashion icon after her first movie was released.
- The late architect remains a global icon, having redefined urban living through his innovative use of sustainable materials.

### 3. religious painting

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a religious painting of a holy person, usually done on wood.

For teachers: a representation of a sacred personage or event, typically painted on a wooden panel and used in the devotional traditions of Orthodox Christianity.

- The old church was filled with gold-covered icons of saints.
- Art historians spent months restoring the fourteenth-century icon, carefully removing layers of soot to reveal the original pigment.

### 4. linguistic sign

noun · CEFR C2 · Academic · Technical

a sign or word that looks or sounds like the thing it describes.

For teachers: a sign whose form directly reflects the properties of its referent, such as an onomatopoeic word or a literal diagram.

- In linguistics, a map is an icon because it looks like the land it shows.
- Peirce distinguished the icon from the index and the symbol based on the specific nature of the relationship between the signifier and the signified.

## Examples

- Click the printer icon to start your document.
- The singer became a fashion icon for millions of teenagers around the world.
- While the building was originally designed for utility, it has since become an architectural icon that defines the city's skyline.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.