S Y M B O L

sym·bol /ˈsɪm.bəl/ noun

From Greek sýmbolon, a sign by which one knows or infers a thing; from symbállein, to throw or put together.

1. A visible sign or representation of an idea; anything which suggests an idea or quality, or another thing, as by resemblance or by convention.
2. Math. Any character used to represent a quantity, an operation, a relation, or an abbreviation.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1913