- SYMBOL:
- A thing that represents or stands for something else, esp. a material object representing something abstract
- A mark or character used as a conventional representation of an object, function, or process, e.g., the letter or letters standing for a chemical element or a character in musical notation
- A shape or sign used to represent something such as an organization, e.g., a red cross or a Star of David
1 : an authoritative summary of faith or doctrine : creed
2 : something that stands for or suggests something else by reason of relationship, association, convention, or accidental resemblance; especially : a visible sign of something invisible
3 : an arbitrary or conventional sign used in writing or printing relating to a particular field to represent operations, quantities, elements, relations, or qualities
4 : an object or act representing something in the unconscious mind that has been repressed
5 : an act, sound, or object having cultural significance and the capacity to excite or objectify a response
The above definitions were taken from google.com and merriam-webster.com. In referencing literary symbols, how to these definitions work together or exclude one another? Is a symbol different from a literary symbol? What is your definition of a literary symbol?