glyph
10 synonyms and 0 antonyms for glyph, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A single visual character or symbol, especially one specific drawn shape of a letter, number or sign in a typeface.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
A single visual character or symbol, especially one specific drawn shape of a letter, number or sign in a typeface.
“The font ships with over 900 glyphs, including Cyrillic and Greek.”
2. noun
A small pictorial symbol used as an icon or marker in an interface, on a map or in signage.
“Tap the gear glyph to open settings.”
3. noun
A carved or incised symbol in an ancient writing system, such as those of the Maya or of Egyptian hieroglyphs.
“Archaeologists have deciphered most of the glyphs on the stela.”
How to Use Glyph
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Technical in typography and computing; otherwise mainly archaeological.
Etymology
From Greek gluphē 'carving', from gluphein 'to carve', by way of French glyphe.
Full origin of glyph →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a glyph and a character?
A character is an abstract unit of writing — the letter A, regardless of how it looks. A glyph is one concrete drawn shape representing it. One character can have many glyphs, and some glyphs, like the fi ligature, represent more than one character.
What is the difference between a glyph and an icon?
Icon is the broader interface term for any small pictorial symbol. Glyph is used more precisely for a symbol drawn as part of a typeface, so it inherits the font's weight, size and colour rather than being a separate image file.