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symbol

n. · v.
US //ˈsɪmbəɫ// UK //sˈɪmbəl// sym·bol
  1. 1 a sign or character (n.)
    A2 Elementary General-service

    a mark, letter, or shape that has a fixed meaning, especially in science, maths, or music.

    a conventional sign or character used in a specific system to represent an operation, element, or quantity.

    Example

    The chemical symbol for water is H2O.

    Example

    In formal logic, the symbol used to represent 'therefore' consists of three dots arranged in a triangle.
  2. 2 an object representing an idea (n.)
    B1 Intermediate General-service

    an object or picture that represents a bigger idea, like a heart for love.

    a material object or image used to represent something abstract or invisible.

    Example

    The white dove is a universal symbol of peace.

    Example

    The crown serves as a potent symbol of monarchical authority, even in nations where the ruler holds no actual political power.
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  1. 3 a person as an example (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

    a person who is seen as the perfect example of a quality or movement.

    a person or thing regarded as the embodiment or cardinal exemplar of a particular concept or theme.

    Example

    For many, she became a symbol of hope during the difficult war years.

    Example

    The architect became a symbol of the modernist movement, representing a radical break from traditional Victorian aesthetics.
  2. 4 programming identifier (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    a name used in computer code to identify a specific part of a program.

    an internal identifier used by a compiler or debugger to relate compiled code to source-level names.

    Example

    The debugger could not find the symbol for the main function.

    Example

    Stripping the symbols from the binary file reduced its size but made it significantly harder for the engineers to troubleshoot crashes in production.
  3. 5 to represent (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic Literary

    to be a symbol of something.

    to represent or stand for something by means of a symbol; used as a synonym for 'symbolize'.

    Example

    In the old poem, the falling leaves symbol the end of youth.

    Example

    The poet chose to symbol the passage of time through the steady, rhythmic dripping of water against the stone floor.

    Usage

    This verb form is rare in modern English; 'symbolize' is the standard choice for all registers.
Origin

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”).

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