symbol

n. 1. Anything that is used to represent something else, as a number may represent quantity, a flag may represent a country, and a smile may represent assent or agreement. 2. In psychoanalysis, an image which represents something else, as a bear may represent a feared father or a cigar may represent a penis. 3. A standard pictorial device used to convey information and usually a warning, as ⊗denotes “do not cross.”