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(), n.[L. symbolus, symbolum, Gr. sy°mbolon a sign by which one knows or infers a thing, from to throw or put together, to compare; sy°n with + to throw: cf. F. symbole. Cf. Emblem, Parable.] 1. A visible sign or representation of an idea; anything which suggests an idea or quality, or another thing, as by resemblance or by convention; an emblem; a representation; a type; a figure; as, the lion is the symbol of courage; the lamb is the symbol of meekness or patience. A symbol is a sign included in the idea which it represents, e. g., an actual part chosen to represent the whole, or a lower form or species used as the representative of a higher in the same kind. Coleridge. 2. (Math.) Any character used to represent a quantity, an operation, a relation, or an abbreviation. In crystallography, the symbol of a plane is the numerical expression which defines its position relatively to the assumed axes. 3. (Theol.) An abstract or compendium of faith or doctrine; a creed, or a Sym"bol v. t.To symbolize. [R.] Tennyson. スポンサード リンク
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