Symbols - English meaning

noun

A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

Usage examples:

Pilgrim's progress is an allegory of the spiritual journey

noun

A story, play, poem, picture, or other work in which the characters and events represent particular qualities or ideas that relate to morals, religion, or politics

Usage examples:

The play can be read as allegory., augustine's "city of god" is an allegory of the triumph of good …

noun

The mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.

Usage examples:

Running away was not in keeping with her character

verb

Inscribe or write (something).

Usage examples:

You have well charactered him

noun

The particular combination of things about a person or place, esp. things you cannot see, that make that person or place different from others

Usage examples:

[ c ] the idea was to modernize the house without changing its homey character., [ u ] it’s a theat…

noun

A heraldic device or symbolic object as a distinctive badge of a nation, organization, or family.

Usage examples:

America's national emblem, the bald eagle

noun

An object that is used to represent a particular person, group, or idea, or a picture of the object

Usage examples:

A dove is often used as an emblem of peace.

noun

Something such as a picture which is a symbol for a particular person, organization, group, or idea

Usage examples:

The merchandise carries the alfa romeo emblem., the leather-goods manufacturer began to be seen an …

noun

A number, especially one which forms part of official statistics or relates to the financial performance of a company.

Usage examples:

The trade figures

verb

Have a significant part or role in a situation or process.

Usage examples:

The issue of nuclear policy figured prominently in the talks

noun

A number or an amount

Usage examples:

The collection was valued at $20 million, a figure that might cover the cost of having artists recr…

noun

A stylized picture of an object representing a word, syllable, or sound, as found in ancient egyptian and certain other writing systems.

Usage examples:

Hieroglyphs describing the mayan calendar

noun

A picture or symbol that represents a word, used in some writing systems, such as the one used in ancient egypt

Usage examples:

The inscriptions that lined the walls of ancient egyptian tombs were written in hieroglyphs., it wa…

noun

A character symbolizing the idea of a thing without indicating the sounds used to say it. examples include numerals and chinese characters.

Usage examples:

Perhaps there is a sound that goes with the symbol, as with chinese ideograms; maybe there are mult…

noun

A written sign or symbol that represents an idea or object, used in some writing systems such as chinese

noun

A representation of the external form of a person or thing in art.

Usage examples:

Her work juxtaposed images from serious and popular art

verb

Make a representation of the external form of.

Usage examples:

Artworks which imaged women's bodies

noun

An idea, esp. a mental picture, of what something or someone is like

Usage examples:

I had an image of texas in my head that was totally different from how it really is., he’s trying t…

noun

A character representing one or more of the sounds used in speech; any of the symbols of an alphabet.

Usage examples:

A capital letter

verb

Inscribe letters or writing on.

Usage examples:

Her name was lettered in gold

noun

A small area on a surface having a different colour from its surroundings, typically one caused by damage or dirt.

Usage examples:

The blow left a red mark down one side of her face

verb

Make a visible impression or stain on.

Usage examples:

He fingered the photograph gently, careful not to mark it

noun

(until the introduction of the euro in 2002) the basic monetary unit of germany, equal to 100 pfennig; a deutschmark.

Usage examples:

Germany spent billions of marks to save the french franc from speculators

noun

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

Usage examples:

When we speak of gene maps and gene mapping, we use a cartographic metaphor

noun

An expression that describes a person or object by referring to something that is considered to possess similar characteristics

Usage examples:

[ c ] "a heart of stone" is a metaphor., metaphorical expressions

noun

The action of speaking or acting on behalf of someone or the state of being so represented.

Usage examples:

You may qualify for free legal representation

noun

People who will speak and act for you in an official situation, or the fact of someone speaking and acting for you

Usage examples:

More american workers are demanding union representation., these employees need legal representatio…

noun

An object, quality, or event whose presence or occurrence indicates the probable presence or occurrence of something else.

Usage examples:

Flowers are often given as a sign of affection

verb

Write one's name on (a letter, card, document, etc.) to identify oneself as the writer or sender.

Usage examples:

The card was signed by the whole class

noun

A thing serving as a visible or tangible representation of a fact, quality, feeling, etc.

Usage examples:

I wanted to offer you a small token of my appreciation

adjective

Done for the sake of appearances or as a symbolic gesture.

Usage examples:

Cases like these often bring just token fines from magistrates

noun

Something you give to someone or do for someone to express your feelings or intentions

Usage examples:

It isn’t a big present – it’s just a token of thanks for your help., subway tokens, a token fee, a …

noun

A category of people or things having common characteristics.

Usage examples:

This type of heather grows better in a drier habitat

verb

Write (something) on a typewriter or computer by pressing the keys.

Usage examples:

He typed out the second draft

suffix

(forming adjectives) resembling or having the characteristics of a specified thing.

Usage examples:

The dish-type radio telescope