iPedia Free Information Center

Information about Icon (secular)

For other uses of the term see Icon (disambiguation). For a list of icons for use on Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Icons.


Enlarge picture
American cultural icons.
Enlarge picture
The clock tower of the Palace of Westminster, iconic of the government of Great Britain.


A secular icon is an image or pictograph of a person or thing used for other than religious purpose. (See icon for such use.)

Icons versus symbols

  • An icon is a graphic device that represents some object or action, the graphic device being ascribed symbolic meaning(s) beyond the object represented.
  • A symbol has only the meanings ascribed to itself, representing only a concept and not recognizable as a particular object.

Language and cultural neutrality

International standards have been developed to harmonize icons and symbols. These can be seen particularly in international airports and for roadside signs to assist travellers. Icons are also becoming standardised for consumer electronics and automobile controls.



Warning symbols (such as the biological hazard symbol) are sometimes not self explanatory but well known within the relevant art or craft - such are symbols but not icons.

Political and governmental iconic symbols

Secular icons are seen particularly in editorial cartoons, where a simple image can be used to represent a complex concept or entity. These are often cultural specific, as recognition of some symbols may depend upon a deep understanding of the current local situation and the players involved, while others are so common that they are understood over a wide range of cultures (but not worldwide). Edifices such as the United States Capitol Building or the White House, the Tower of Westminster, and Saint Basil's Cathedral have become representations respectively of the Governments of the United States of America, Great Britain, and Russia. Other symbols (such as the bald eagle for the United states, the bear for Russia, or the chinese dragon for China) are used to represent nations, as distinct from (yet inclusive of) governments.

Modern computer systems

Main article: Icon (computing)
Modern personal computers and control systems make extensive use of icons in the form of small images representing such objects as file folders, documents and applications within a graphical user interface.

See also

For a list of icons for use on Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Icons
An icon , from the Greek word for image, is a pictorial representation of something that is considered holy or divine. The article Icon covers this meaning, mainly in regard to Eastern Christianity.
..... Click the link for more information.
icon (from Greek εἰκών, eikon, "image") is an image, picture, or representation; it is a sign or likeness that stands for an object by signifying or representing it, or by analogy, as in semiotics; by
..... Click the link for more information.
Warning symbols are mainly graphic images which identify a dangerous object or place. Warning symbols are used in many places in lieu of or addition to written warnings as they are quickly recognized (faster than reading a written warning) and more universally understood (the same
..... Click the link for more information.
biological hazard or biohazard is an organism, or substance derived from an organism, that poses a threat to (primarily) human health. This can include medical waste, samples of a microorganism, virus or toxin (from a biological source) that can impact human health.
..... Click the link for more information.
worldwide view of the subject.
Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page.
An editorial cartoon, also known as a political cartoon
..... Click the link for more information.
United States Capitol

The west face of the United States Capitol

Building information
Location Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
Country United States of America

Architect William Thornton (first of many)
..... Click the link for more information.
North façade of the White House, seen from Pennsylvania Avenue. Before construction of the north portico in 1824, the north façade looked similar to Leinster House shown in the picture below.
..... Click the link for more information.
Clock Tower is the world's largest four-faced, chiming turret clock. The structure is situated at the north-eastern end of the Houses of Parliament building in Westminster, London.
..... Click the link for more information.
Cathedral of Intercession of the Virgin on the Moat (Russian: Собор Покрова что на Рву or simply Pokrovskiy Cathedral
..... Click the link for more information.
Motto
"In God We Trust"   (since 1956)
"E Pluribus Unum"   ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
Anthem
..... Click the link for more information.
This page is protected from moves until disputes have been resolved on the .
The reason for its protection is listed on the protection policy page. The page may still be edited but cannot be moved until unprotected.
..... Click the link for more information.
Anthem
Hymn of the Russian Federation


Capital
(and largest city) Moscow

..... Click the link for more information.
H. leucocephalus

Binomial name
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
(Linnaeus, 1766)

Bald Eagle range

..... Click the link for more information.
Ursidae
G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817

Genera

Ailuropoda
Helarctos
Melursus
Ursavus "true bear"
Ursus
Tremarctos
Agriarctos (extinct)
Amphicticeps (extinct)

..... Click the link for more information.
Chinese dragon is a Chinese mythical creature, depicted as a long, scaled, snake-like creature with four claws. In contrast to the Western dragon which stands on four legs and which is usually portrayed as evil, Chinese dragon has long been a potent symbol of auspicious power in
..... Click the link for more information.
computer icon is a small pictogram. Icons have been used to supplement the normal alphanumerics of the computer. Modern computers now can handle bitmapped graphics on the display terminal, so the icons are widely used to assist users.
..... Click the link for more information.
graphical user interface (GUI) is a type of user interface which allows people to interact with a computer and computer-controlled devices which employ graphical icons, visual indicators or special graphical elements called "widgets", along with text, labels or text
..... Click the link for more information.
cultural icon is an object or person which is distinctive to, or particularly representative of, a specific culture. An example is the bowler hat which could be considered an English cultural icon. Others include tea, The Beatles and association football.
..... Click the link for more information.
gay icon or LGBT icon is an historical figure, celebrity or public figure who is embraced by many in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) communities. In particular, they are figures perceived to be strong or brave individuals who have wrestled with
..... Click the link for more information.
Semeiotic is a term used by Charles Sanders Peirce to distinguish his theory of triadic sign relations from other approaches to the same subject matter.

Types of signs

There are three principal ways that a sign can denote its objects.
..... Click the link for more information.
Symbols are objects, characters, or other concrete representations of ideas, concepts, or other abstractions. For example, in the United States, Canada and Great Britain, a red octagon is a symbol for the traffic sign meaning "STOP".
..... Click the link for more information.


This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia.org - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of the wikipedia encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.
Herod_Archelaus


page counter