I. ˈsim-bəl noun
Etymology: in sense 1, from Late Latin symbolum, from Late Greek symbolon, from Greek, token, sign; in other senses from Latin symbolum token, sign, symbol, from Greek symbolon, literally, token of identity verified by comparing its other half, from symballein to throw together, compare, from syn- + ballein to throw — more at devil
Date: 15th century
1. : an authoritative summary of faith or doctrine : creed
2. : something that stands for or suggests something else by reason of relationship, association, convention, or accidental resemblance ; especially : a visible sign of something invisible
the lion is a symbol of courage
3. : an arbitrary or conventional sign used in writing or printing relating to a particular field to represent operations, quantities, elements, relations, or qualities
4. : an object or act representing something in the unconscious mind that has been repressed
phallic symbol s
5. : an act, sound, or object having cultural significance and the capacity to excite or objectify a response
II. verb
( -boled or -bolled ; -bol·ing or -bol·ling )
Date: 1832
: symbolize