| logogram |
| Definition: A character or symbol that is used in place of a word. |
| Example: The symbol @ when it is used to represent the word at. |
| Etymology: The term derives from the Greek logos, word + gram, that which is written. |
| Oxford English Dictionary: The first citation for the term in this sense is from 1840: "The hooked vr is used as a logogram for very." (I. Pitman Man. Phonography §159 (1845) 46) |