rebus
UK: ˈriːbəs | US: ˈriːbəs
n. a puzzle where words or syllables are represented by pictures or symbols
n. a representation of a name or word by such pictures or symbols
The word "rebus" originates from Latin rebus, the dative plural of res ("thing"). It entered English via French rébus, initially referring to humorous representations in heraldry or legal documents where pictures stood for words or names (e.g., a drawing of an eye + a deer = "I dear"). The term reflects the playful use of visual symbols to convey language, rooted in Latin’s grammatical structure (-bus marking "by/with things").
The children solved the rebus by decoding pictures of a bee and a leaf as "belief."
Medieval heraldry often used rebuses to symbolize family names.
The puzzle magazine featured a rebus requiring "U R 2 kind" to be read as "You are too kind."
Lawyers in the 16th century employed rebuses to abbreviate names in legal documents.
His birthday card included a rebus combining a clock and a face to say "time flies."