Emoji

/ɪˈmoʊdʒi/ or /iːˈmoʊdʒi/ noun

A small digital picture or icon used in messages to express emotions, objects, ideas, or actions. They add tone and feeling to text communication.

From Japanese 'emoji,' from 'e' (絵, picture) + 'moji' (文字, character, letter). It is not related to the English word 'emotion,' even though they sound similar. Emojis developed from earlier Japanese mobile phone icons in the late 1990s.

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