The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms - Ross Murfin 2018

Icon

Icon: In semiotics, a type of sign that has a likeness or similarity to what it represents. Examples include a drawing of a fire, a miniature model ship, a map of Antarctica, a diagram of the structure of the federal court system, and floor plans for a house. The icon is distinguished from the index, another type of sign that is directly and regularly connected, physically or through a cause-effect relationship, to what it represents. Examples include smoke, which indicates fire; sundials, which indicate the time of day; and thermometers, which indicate temperature.