graphic symbol
- noun
- /ˈɡræfɪk ˈsɪmbəl/
- Texting
:
símbolo gráfico
- The graphic symbol of a heart emoji conveys love and affection in digital communication.
Examples
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In online forums, people often use a thumbs-up graphic symbol to show agreement or approval.
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Many applications use a graphic symbol to represent their functions, such as the camera icon for taking photos.
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Consistent with the procedures used by Mineo et al. (2008), the animated graphics were selected first, and the static representations were derived subsequently from the animated graphic symbols.
Academic text (2012)
Synonyms
117
3.9
A picture that represents a person, thing, or idea
15
8.9
A carved or written sign that stands for something in writing
15
3.0
Small pictures people put in messages to show a feeling or idea
4
7.7
A symbol or word that stands for something else
4
8.1
A simple picture that stands for a word or idea
3
4.4
A simple picture that shows a word, idea or object on signs and maps
2
8.6
A written symbol that shows a whole idea or thing, not the word's sound
1
6.3
A visible thing like a flag that stands for an idea you cannot see
1
9.9
A written sign that shows an idea or thing instead of a word
How Pictorial
33
3.5
66
2.8
- Texting
- Texting
15
3.0
- Specialized
89
3.9
625
3.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning "a pictorial or digital sign" is directly and transparently derived from combining 'graphic' (visual, pertaining to images) with 'symbol' (a mark or sign representing something). This adjective+noun composition follows common cross-linguistic patterns and would be easily understood by a B1 learner who knows both constituents (e.g. an icon or emoji is a graphic symbol).
Etymology
Graphic symbol comes from graphic meaning 'picture' and symbol meaning 'a sign that stands for something'. Imagine a tiny picture on a screen, like an emoji or icon, that stands for an idea, object, or feeling, and that is why it means 'a pictorial or digital sign'.