rebus
Americannoun
-
rebuses
plural
-
a representation of a word or phrase by pictures, symbols, etc., that suggest that word or phrase or its syllables.
Two gates and a head is a rebus for Gateshead.
-
a piece of writing containing many such representations.
noun
-
a puzzle consisting of pictures representing syllables and words; in such a puzzle the word hear might be represented by H followed by a picture of an ear
-
a heraldic emblem or device that is a pictorial representation of or pun on the name of the bearer
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of rebus
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin rēbus “by things” (ablative plural of rēs ), in phrase nōn verbīs sed rēbus “not by words but by things”
Explanation
A rebus is a puzzle that uses symbols or pictures to represent the sounds of words. A picture of an eye, a heart, and a ewe might be used to say "I love you." Isn't that sweet? A rebus uses pictures and symbols to convey a message in what may be considered a fun code. The letters ICU might be used to stand for the sentence “I see you.” The word rebus could be depicted with the letters RE followed by a picture of a school bus. Some children's books use rebuses as a way of introducing kids to the reading process, but rebuses can also be quite challenging, even for the adult mind.
Vocabulary lists containing rebus
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Top 50 Wordle Words of 2022
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Challenge, List 4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The effect of these lines, which reach back into the past while projecting far into the future, is that of a rebus, with the stunning phrase “the final whereabouts” offering one more breath of indirection.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2022
A modern-day equivalent would be using a picture of an eye to represent “I” — a linguistic concept called the rebus principle.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 30, 2019
Slogans, drawings, GIFs, inspirational sentiments, little rebus puzzles—it’s really up to you.
From Slate ● Feb. 5, 2018
In the 1960s, she caused a small sensation by introducing the rebus puzzle.
From New York Times ● Jan. 30, 2015
Linguists term this decisive innovation, which also underlies puns today, the rebus principle.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
I grew up doing crosswords, riddles and rebuses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2025
Photograph: Universal Images Group/Getty Images In essence, Griffiths had to crack an elaborate Tudor code of rebuses, ciphers, heraldic motifs and symbolic flowers to discover who the man was.
From The Guardian ● May 19, 2015
More complex rebuses are pictures whose elements, correctly named and put together, make up words or sentences.
From Time Magazine Archive
Emblems, rebuses, and puns, the delight of the Jesuits, were very fit for that purpose.
From Priests, Women, and Families by Jules Michelet
Will you truthfully answer the rebuses I shall now propound to the best of your ability, and govern yourself accordingly till the surface of Hades congeals to glistening bergs, and that with no unseemly curiosity?”
From Bransford of Rainbow Range Originally Published under the title of Bransford in Arcadia, or, The Little Eohippus by Eugene Manlove Rhodes
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
