emoticon

Blend of emotion +‎ icon

• (Canada) IPA^(key): /əˈmoʊtəˌkɑn/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪˈməʊtɪˌkɒn/

emoticon (plural emoticons)

1. A graphical representation of a particular emotion of the writer, used especially in SMS, email, or other electronic communication.
   1. A graphic made up of text characters to represent such emotion; a smiley.
      • 2006, Joseph B. Walther, “Nonverbal dynamics in computer-mediated communication”, in Valerie Manusov and Miles Patterson, editor, The SAGE Handbook of Nonverbal Communication, →ISBN, page 470:

        In a 4 by 2 experimental procedure, :) ;)  :( or no emoticon were inserted alternately in simulated e-mail message mock-ups

      • 2007, M. Yanagisawa, M. Kobayashi, Y. Kato, S. Kato, and D. Scott, “Research on the emotions interpreted from emoticons in Japanese cellular telephone email”, in T. Hirashima, U. Hoppe, and S. Young, editor, Supporting Learning Flow through Integrative Technologies, →ISBN, page 271:

        The range of interpretations was surprising broad, for instance the emoticon (-.-) had 16 possible interpretations

   2. An image or graphic icon used to represent such emotions; an emoji.
      • 2007, Loren Abdulezer, Susan Abdulezer, and Howard Dammond, Skype for Dummies, →ISBN, page 61:

        In addition to placing emoticons by clicking icons in the pop-up panel shown in Figure 4-2, you can enter the text representation in your text chat window. For example, to show the image of the emoticon with sunglasses, you enter (cool).

• Emoticons appendix
• emotag
• emoji
• kaomoji

• come into

Borrowed from English emoticon.

emoticon m (invariable)

1. emoticon

Borrowed from English emoticon.

emoticon m (plural emoticons)

1. emoticon (simple drawing using text characters)