Definition

1. Noun:
   • A representation of a facial expression (such as a smile or frown) created by typing a sequence of keyboard characters, especially used in digital communication to convey emotion or tone.

Usage

• The emoticon is used in text-based communication like email, instant messaging, and social media to add emotional context to written words.
• It is typically placed at the end of a sentence or phrase.
• Common emoticons are read sideways, with the colon representing eyes and parentheses or other symbols representing the mouth.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• Emoticon strings: Sometimes multiple emoticons are used together for emphasis or complex expressions.
  • I'm so excited!! :-D :-D
• Role in digital communication: Emoticons help prevent misunderstandings in text where tone of voice and facial expressions are absent.

Variants and Related Words

• Emoji (n): A small digital image or icon used to express an idea or emotion, which evolved from and largely supplanted text-based emoticons.
  • She sent an emoji of a laughing face instead of the "LOL" emoticon.

Synonyms

• Smiley (n): Informal term for a happy-face emoticon.
• Emoticon is sometimes used interchangeably with emoji, though they are technically different (emoticons are character-based, emojis are pictographic).

Related Phrases

• ASCII art (n): A graphic design technique using printable characters from the ASCII standard to create images, which can include complex emoticon-like faces.
  • The detailed smiley face made from letters and symbols is a form of ASCII art, not a simple emoticon.

Noun

1. a representation of a facial expression (as a smile or frown) created by typing a sequence of characters in sending email
   • :-( and :-) are emoticons