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rebus

Pronunciation: /ˈriːbəs/
Definition of rebus

noun (plural rebuses)

  • a puzzle in which words are represented by combinations of pictures and individual letters; for instance, apex might be represented by a picture of an ape followed by a letter X.
  • historical an ornamental device associated with a person to whose name it punningly alludes.

Origin:

early 17th century: from French rébus, from Latin rebus, ablative plural of res 'thing'

rebus in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of rebus in the US English dictionary