Other forms: symbols
A symbol is a simple mark or object that stands for something bigger. A dove is a symbol of peace, the pound symbol, a status symbol.
It works by agreement rather than resemblance: a heart shape looks nothing like a heart, and everybody knows what it means. In chemistry, symbols are the one or two letters standing for each element. In mathematics and typing, symbols are the non-letter characters. Note symbolic, symbolise and symbolism, the artistic movement; and that symbol and cymbal sound identical and mean nothing alike.
1nounsymbolA simple mark or object standing for something bigger.
“The dove has been a symbol of peace for a very long time.”
2nouncharacterA written character standing for something.
“The symbol for gold is Au, from the Latin.”
Too few real examples of this word to estimate which sense is commonest.
symbol is a stand-in sign.
Greek symbolon was a token broken in two, so that two people could each keep half and later prove their identity by matching them. A symbol is literally a thing thrown together — sym-, together, plus ballein, to throw.
French
symbole
English, today
symbol
Built from
From French symbole. From French symbole, from Latin symbolus, symbolum (“a sign, mark, token, symbol, in Late Latin also a creed”), from Ancient Greek σύμβολον (“a sign by which one infers something; a mark, token, badge, ticket, tally, check, a signal, watchword, outward sign”), from συμβάλλω (“to throw together, dash together, compare, correspond, tally, come to a conclusion”), from σύν (“with, together”) + βάλλω (“to throw, put”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA