ideogram

[ id-ee-uh-gram, ahy-dee- ]

noun
  1. Linguistics. a symbol that represents an idea or object directly rather than a particular word or speech sound, such as an arrow symbol to represent direction.: Compare logogram (def. 1), phonogram.

  2. a symbol that substitutes for a word or phrase, such as 7, =, or &; a logogram.

Origin of ideogram

1
First recorded in 1830–40; ideo- + -gram1

Words Nearby ideogram

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use ideogram in a sentence

  • As Norah heads inland she will come across various symbols and ideograms on the surfaces of walls and objects which she’ll jot down in a notebook.

  • The common Sumerian ideogram for the name of the Tigris is al-al, an intensified form of al, which means “running” or “rushing”.

    Sumerian Hymns | Frederick Augustus Vanderburgh
  • An-na, ideogram for the god of heaven, plus phonetic complement.

    Sumerian Hymns | Frederick Augustus Vanderburgh
  • H” gives us a picture of a reed, the late cuneiform character being the ideogram for “kanu” which means a “reed.

    Mesopotamian Archaeology | Percy S. P. Handcock
  • Applied to a settlement, the ideogram would be the equivalent of our 'Fishtown.'

British Dictionary definitions for ideogram

ideogram

ideograph (ˈɪdɪəʊˌɡrɑːf, -ˌɡræf)

/ (ˈɪdɪəʊˌɡræm) /


noun
  1. a sign or symbol, used in such writing systems as those of China or Japan, that directly represents a concept, idea, or thing rather than a word or set of words for it

  2. any graphic sign or symbol, such as %, @, &, etc

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