Definition, synonyms and related words
plural of icon
"The museum displayed ancient religious icons alongside modern digital art to show how sacred images have evolved over centuries."
In plain English: Icons are symbols that represent something important, like a famous person or a religious figure.
"The museum is famous for displaying icons from ancient Greece."
Usage: Use icons to refer to small graphic symbols on computer screens or mobile devices that represent programs and functions. Do not use this term for famous people or religious images unless you are specifically discussing their digital representations.
Derived from the Greek eikōn, meaning "image" or "likeness," the term originally referred to religious paintings of Christ, saints, and other figures in Eastern Christianity. It later expanded in English during the 16th century to denote any small picture used for worship before broadening to mean any symbolic representation in computing.