Pictograph
[PIK-tə-graf]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Latin, mid 19th century
1.
A pictorial symbol for a word or phrase. Pictographs were used as the earliest known form of writing, with examples discovered in Egypt and Mesopotamia from before 3000 BC.
2.
A pictorial representation of statistics on a chart, graph, or computer screen.
Examples of Pictograph in a sentence
"Claribel referenced the pictograph on the box to assemble her furniture."
"New archaeological discoveries have allowed the team insight into the pictographs."
About Pictograph
Pictograph originated from a combination of the Latin word “pict” (painting) + “graph” (a Greek word that means something drawn or written).
Did you Know?
While most modern languages use an alphabet of letters to assemble words, ancient cultures used pictographs to represent written language. Some notable examples include Nordic runes, Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, and Mesopotamian cuneiforms, which all use carved characters and pictures to represent a word, idea, or phrase.
