/ ˈaɪkɒn; NAmE -kɑːn/ noun
1.
( computing ) a small symbol on a computer screen that represents a program or a file :
Click on the printer icon with the mouse.
2.
a famous person or thing that people admire and see as a symbol of a particular idea, way of life, etc. :
Madonna and other pop icons of the 1980s
a feminist / gay icon (= sb that feminists / gay people admire)
3.
(also ikon ) ( in the Orthodox Church ) a painting or statue of a holy person that is also thought of as a holy object
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent. (in the sense simile ): via Latin from Greek eikōn likeness, image. Current senses date from the mid 19th cent. onwards.