icon

American  

[ahy-kon] / ˈaɪ kɒn /

Also ikon,

noun

1. Digital Technology. a picture or symbol that appears on a screen and is used to represent a file, account, application, etc..

   Tap the icon to download the app.

   Click the flag icon at the top of the web page to toggle the language to English.

2. Eastern Church. a representation of some sacred personage or event, such as Christ or a saint or the Resurrection, painted usually on a wood surface and venerated for its subject.

3. a person or thing that epitomizes for many people a value, an era, a community, etc.

   Blue jeans remain an American cultural icon, despite the outsourcing of their manufacture to other countries.

4. a person or thing that is revered or idolized.

   Elvis Presley is a cultural icon of the 20th century.

5. Semiotics. a sign or representation that stands for its object by virtue of a resemblance or analogy to it.

6. any picture, image, or other representation.

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icon British  

/ ˈaɪkɒn /

noun

1. Also: ikon.  a representation of Christ, the Virgin Mary, or a saint, esp one painted in oil on a wooden panel, depicted in a traditional Byzantine style and venerated in the Eastern Church

2. an image, picture, representation, etc

3. a person or thing regarded as a symbol of a belief, nation, community, or cultural movement

4. a person regarded as a sex symbol or as a symbol of the latest fashion trends

5. a pictorial representation of a facility available on a computer system, that enables the facility to be activated by means of a screen cursor rather than by a textual instruction

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icon Scientific  

/ ī′kŏn′ /

1. In a graphical user interface, a picture on the screen that represents a specific file, directory, window, or program. Clicking on an icon will start the associated program or open the associated file, directory, or window.

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icon Cultural  

1. An image used in worship in the Eastern Orthodox Church and among other Christians (see also Christian) of similar traditions. Icons depict Jesus, Mary, and the saints, usually in a severe, symbolic, nonrealistic way.

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Related Words

See image.

Etymology

Origin of icon

First recorded in 1565–75; from Latin īcon, from Greek eikṓn “figure, image, likeness”

Example Sentences

McMurtry’s stark assessment grew in part from a vexation that, despite his lifelong project to demythologize the cowboy, the ultimate American icon, his most celebrated book had the inverse effect.

From The Wall Street Journal

Among them, comedy icon Sir Billy Connolly who has recorded a new audio guide.

From BBC

"In my eyes, I feel like it's a big deal not just for the city, but for the country to have such a global icon come here."

From BBC

“Apple is more than just a technology company. It’s really a cultural icon,” said Jacob Bourne, a technology analyst at eMarketer.

From Los Angeles Times

Through a proprietary mixture of light nostalgia baiting and ever-present curiosity, Gellar has achieved a rare type of icon status — a superstar who owns her legacy, but isn’t willing to rest on her laurels.

From Salon

Related Words

• apotheosis
• avatar
• embodiment
• epitome
• incarnation
• manifestation
• personification
• quintessence
• representation
• symbol