pictogramn.

1885 Proc. Royal Soc. Queensland 1 51 Hieroglyphic writing with its phonetic symbols representing simple or syllabic sounds, accompanied by an imitative emblem or pictogram as a determinative sign.

1895 Amer. Anthropologist 8 92 All systems of old-time written characters, whether in the form of pictograms, symbolisms, or phonograms.

1910 Encycl. Relig. & Ethics III. 549/2 The primitive characters or ‘pictograms’..afford unmistakable evidence as to the ideas which existed long anterior to the time of Confucius.

1952 G. Sarton Hist. Sci. I. ii. 20 We may assume that the Egyptians began by using pictograms (images) representing things or ideas rather than words.

2004 C. H. Dale Chinese Aesthetics & Lit. (Notes Lang. & Pronunc.) p. xvii Chinese written characters developed probably in the early second millennium B.C.E. as pictograms, stylized illustrations of objects or actions.

1906 J. M. Edmonds Introd. Compar. Philol. for Classical Students iv. 64 A survival of the Pictogram is the modern map, especially those of a century or two ago, where instead of a round spot a picture of buildings is given to represent a town.

1930 Internat. Jrnl. Ethics 41 110 A pictogram on a poster..representing soldiers of different heights can accurately and instantaneously inform the larger public as to the comparative sizes of..different armies.

1970 Which? Nov. 352/2 The use of pictograms (eg ‘?’ to show an information desk) is increasing.

2003 T. Bushell Key Geogr. Skills 18/1 Pictograms use pictures or symbols to show data. They may be drawn as a graph, as a comparative drawing or even as a map.