logogram

[ law-guh-gram, log-uh- ]

noun
  1. Linguistics. a symbol that represents an entire word directly rather than representing a speech sound, such as a Chinese character.: Compare ideogram (def. 1), phonogram.

  2. a conventional, abbreviated symbol for a frequently recurring word or phrase, such as the symbol & for the word and.

Origin of logogram

1
First recorded in 1810–20; logo- + -gram1

Other words from logogram

  • log·o·gram·mat·ic [law-guh-gruh-mat-ik, log-uh-], /ˌlɔ gə grəˈmæt ɪk, ˌlɒg ə-/, adjective
  • log·o·gram·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words Nearby logogram

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for logogram

logogram

logograph (ˈlɒɡəˌɡrɑːf, -ˌɡræf)

/ (ˈlɒɡəˌɡræm) /


noun
  1. a single symbol representing an entire morpheme, word, or phrase, as for example the symbol (%) meaning per cent

Derived forms of logogram

  • logogrammatic (ˌlɒɡəɡrəˈmætɪk), logographic (ˌlɒɡəˈɡræfɪk) or logographical, adjective
  • logogrammatically or logographically, 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