Chars

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. Letters, symbols, or marks used to represent speech sounds in written language ; figures, shapes, or graphic elements that form part of a text or inscription ; written signs conveying meaning through arrangement
2. Written or printed symbols that make up words ; individual graphical shapes that combine to record language visually ; icons or figures placed sequentially to transcribe spoken communication
3. Distinct marks or symbols, especially in writing, that stand for individual spoken sounds ; graphic units within alphabets used to denote speech elements ; signifiers in text that, when grouped, transmit ideas through written form

Etymology: "Chars" is the third-person singular form of the verb "char", which is a back-formation from "charcoal", meaning to burn something until it blackens. The sense of printed symbols comes from a different "char", a clipping of "character" that programmers adopted, most notably in the C language, where it names a data type that holds a single letter or symbol.

Synonyms: scorch, burn, singe, blacken