Religious images or representations; symbols representing programs or functions on computer screens; widely recognized symbols or representative figures.
From Greek 'eikon' meaning 'image' or 'likeness.' Originally referred to religious paintings, then expanded to any symbolic representation, and gained computer meaning in the 1980s with graphical interfaces.
From Byzantine church paintings to iPhone apps, 'icons' have kept their essential meaning of 'visual representation' for over a thousand years. The computer icon perfectly captures the Greek concept - a small image that represents something larger.
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