Rebus

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɹiːbəs/

Definitions

1. A puzzle in which a message is represented by a combination of pictures, symbols, or letters that suggest the sounds or meanings of the intended words
2. A visual representation that uses images, symbols, or letters to convey a word or phrase, often requiring interpretation for understanding
3. An illustrative challenge where characters, pictograms, or letters symbolize words or ideas, prompting logical deduction from the viewer

Etymology: Picture puzzles were once a Picardy carnival craze. In the 16th century, the French region of Picardy produced satirical writings on current events built from picture-riddles, made for an annual carnival. One scholar, Gilles Ménage, traced the name to the Latin phrase "de rebus quae geruntur" ("concerning the things that are taking place"), but the name "rebus de Picardie" is attested later than the plain French word, so the carnival may simply have given its name to the puzzles rather than the other way round. The word itself most likely comes from Latin "rēbus," the ablative plural of "rēs," meaning "thing" or "matter." Another proposal links it to the phrase "nōn verbīs sed rēbus" ("not by words but by things"), but that suggestion runs into problems with the order in which the French senses developed. The link between the English word and its Latin source remains unclear. The word was taken into French as "rébus," which could mean a puzzle, an ambiguity, or an unintelligible remark, and English borrowed it from there.

Synonyms: pictogram, illustration