glyph

/glɪf/

Other forms: glyphs

A glyph is a symbol — it can represent a word, letter, or number, and it can also be a mark that tells you how to pronounce a letter. In Spanish, the tilde — the wavy line in the letter ñ, as in the word señorita — is an example of a glyph.

If a symbol or mark communicates a piece of valuable information, it's a glyph. In English, each of the letters of the alphabet is a glyph, and in German the character ß is also a glyph. In archaeology, this word is frequently used for any characters that are carved or inscribed in stone — a hieroglyph, an ancient Egyptian picture that represents a word, is one example of this. The Greek root glyphein means "to carve."

Definitions of glyph

1. noun

   glyptic art in the form of a symbolic figure carved or incised in relief
   type of:

   glyptic art, glyptography

   carvings or engravings (especially on precious stones)
2. noun

   a small, often stylized graphic symbol
   type of:

   symbol

   an arbitrary sign (written or printed) that has acquired a conventional significance