chronogram

[ kron-uh-gram ]

/ ˈkrɒn əˌgræm /

noun

an inscription in which certain Roman numeral letters express a date or epoch on being added together by their values.

a record made by a chronograph.

Nearby words

chronicler, chronicles, chrono, chrono-, chronobiology, chronogram, chronograph, chronographer, chronographic, chronol., chronological

Origin of chronogram

First recorded in 1615–25; chrono- + -gram¹

Related formschron·o·gram·mat·ic

[kron-oh-gruh-mat-ik] /ˌkrɒn oʊ grəˈmæt ɪk/, chron·o·gram·mat·i·cal, adjectivechron·o·gram·mat·i·cal·ly, adverbchron·o·gram·ma·tist, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for chronogram

There is another near relation of the anagrams and acrostics, which is commonly called a chronogram.
Essays and Tales|Joseph Addison
It might be supposed to be a chronogram, but for the introduction of the letter "E."
Notes and Queries, Vol. IV, Number 111, December 13, 1851|Various
The date may sometimes occur as a chronogram, which should not be overlooked.
How to Catalogue a Library|Henry B. (Henry Benjamin) Wheatley
Webster defines a chronogram as an inscription, sentence, or phrase in which certain letters express a date or epoch.
Smithsonian Institution - United States National Museum - Bulletin 240|Anonymous

Sometimes it is to be found at the end of the preface or dedication, and sometimes it is on the title-page as a chronogram.
How to Catalogue a Library|Henry B. (Henry Benjamin) Wheatley

British Dictionary definitions for chronogram

chronogram

/ (ˈkrɒnəˌɡræm, ˈkrəʊnə-) /

noun

a phrase or inscription in which letters such as M, C, X, L and V can be read as Roman numerals giving a date

a record kept by a chronograph

Derived Formschronogrammatic (ˌkrɒnəʊɡrəˈmætɪk) or chronogrammatical, adjectivechronogrammatically, adverb

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