icon
[ ahy-kon ]
/ Ë?aɪ kÉ’n /
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noun
a picture, image, or other representation.
Eastern Church. a representation of some sacred personage, as Christ or a saint or angel, painted usually on a wood surface and venerated itself as sacred.
a sign or representation that stands for its object by virtue of a resemblance or analogy to it: an icon of womanhood.
a person or thing that is revered or idolized: Elvis Presley is a cultural icon of the 20th century.
Digital Technology. a picture or symbol that appears on a screen and is used to represent a file, account, application, etc.: Tap the icon to download the app.Click the flag icon at the top of the web page to toggle the language to English.
Semiotics. a sign or representation that stands for its object by virtue of a resemblance or analogy to it.
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Also i·kon, ei·kon (for defs. 1, 2) .
Origin of icon
First recorded in 1565–75; from Latin Ä«con, from Greek eikṓn “likeness, image, figureâ€
synonym study for icon
2. See image.
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH icon
icon , ikonWords nearby icon
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for icon
British Dictionary definitions for icon
icon
/ (Ë?aɪkÉ’n) /
noun
Also: ikon a representation of Christ, the Virgin Mary, or a saint, esp one painted in oil on a wooden panel, depicted in a traditional Byzantine style and venerated in the Eastern Church
an image, picture, representation, etc
a person or thing regarded as a symbol of a belief, nation, community, or cultural movement
a person regarded as a sex symbol or as a symbol of the latest fashion trends
a pictorial representation of a facility available on a computer system, that enables the facility to be activated by means of a screen cursor rather than by a textual instruction
Word Origin for icon
C16: from Latin, from Greek eikÅn image, from eikenai to be like
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for icon
icon
[ ī′kÅn′ ]
In a graphical user interface, a picture on the screen that represents a specific file, directory, window, or program. Clicking on an icon will start the associated program or open the associated file, directory, or window.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for icon
icon
An image used in worship in the Eastern Orthodox Church and among other Christians (see also Christian) of similar traditions. Icons depict Jesus, Mary, and the saints, usually in a severe, symbolic, nonrealistic way.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.