Emoticon: meaning, definitions and examples
๐
emoticon
[ ษชหmoสtษชหkษn ]
digital communication
An emoticon is a representation of a facial expression using keyboard characters, commonly used in digital communication to convey emotions or feelings. They are typically made up of a combination of punctuation marks, letters, and numbers. Emoticons add an emotional layer to text that may otherwise be devoid of any expressive quality. More modern variations include emoji, but traditional emoticons remain popular for their simplicity and ease of use.
Synonyms
emotion representation, face, smiley
Examples of usage
- :)
- :(
- ;)
- :D
- :-/
Translations
Translations of the word "emoticon" in other languages:
๐ต๐น emoticon
๐ฎ๐ณ เคเคฎเฅเคถเคจ เคเคฟเคนเฅเคจ
๐ฉ๐ช Emoticon
๐ฎ๐ฉ emotikon
๐บ๐ฆ ะตะผะพัะธะบะพะฝ
๐ต๐ฑ emotikon
๐ฏ๐ต ็ตตๆๅญ
๐ซ๐ท รฉmoticรดne
๐ช๐ธ emoticono
๐น๐ท emotikon
๐ฐ๐ท ์ด๋ชจํฐ์ฝ
๐ธ๐ฆ ุฅูู ูุฌู
๐จ๐ฟ emotikon
๐ธ๐ฐ emotikon
๐จ๐ณ ่กจๆ ็ฌฆๅท
๐ธ๐ฎ emotikon
๐ฎ๐ธ emoticon
๐ฐ๐ฟ ัะผะพัะธะบะพะฝ
๐ฌ๐ช แแแแขแแแแแ
๐ฆ๐ฟ emotikon
๐ฒ๐ฝ emoticono
Etymology
The term 'emoticon' is derived from the combination of 'emotion' and 'icon'. Its use can be traced back to the early 1980s, when computer scientist Scott Fahlman proposed using a simple textual representation of a smiling face to distinguish between serious posts and jokes on an online bulletin board at Carnegie Mellon University. The original emoticon, :) for a smile and :( for a frown, quickly gained popularity and spread across various online communities. As digital communication evolved, so did these symbols. While emoticons served as the precursor to the more complex emoji that we use today, they played a pivotal role in helping users convey tone and emotion in an increasingly text-based world. This evolution reflects the ongoing adaptation of language and communication tools in the digital age.
Word Frequency Rank
At position #41,502, this word is among the less frequently used terms in English. While interesting to know, it's not crucial for most English learners unless needed for specific purposes.