symbol

noun

1. A character or glyph representing an idea, concept or object.

   “"$" is the symbol for dollars in the US and some other countries.”

   “Chinese people use word symbols for writing.”

2. A thing considered the embodiment or cardinal exemplar of a concept, theme, or other thing.

   “The lion is the symbol of courage; the lamb is the symbol of meekness or patience.”

3. A type of noun whereby the form refers to the same entity independently of the context; a symbol arbitrarily denotes a referent. See also icon and index.
4. A summary of a dogmatic statement of faith.

   “The Apostles, Nicene Creed and the confessional books of Protestantism, such as the Augsburg Confession of Lutheranism are considered symbols.”

5. The numerical expression which defines a plane's position relative to the assumed axes.
6. (obsolete)That which is thrown into a common fund; hence, an appointed or accustomed duty.

   “They do their work in the days of peace […] and come to pay their symbol in a war or in a plague.”

7. (obsolete)Share; allotment.

   “The persons who are to be judged […] shall all appear to receive their symbol.”

8. An internal identifier used by a debugger to relate parts of the compiled program to the corresponding names in the source code.
9. A signalling event on a communications channel; a signal that cannot be further divided into meaningful information.

verb

1. To symbolize.

   “[…] They told me that the Holy Rood had lean'd / And bow'd above me; […] / [I]f it bow'd, whether it symbol'd ruin / Or glory, who shall tell?”