English Explanatory Dictionary

Christogram

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A monogram that forms an abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ, traditionally used as a Christian symbol, such as the chi-rho.

Word forms

Christogram Christograms Christogramme

Etymology

From Christo- + gram, c. 1900, adopted from German Christogramm, in c. 1860 as portmanteau or abbreviation of the slightly older (1840s) and more formal compound Christusmonogramm, translating the Medieval Latin monogramma Christi. English literature before 1900 used compositional "Monogram of Christ" or the rare chrismon. First attested in the 1860s. The plural Christograms is recorded in the 1950s and also rare.

Related words

ichthys
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