token
Meanings
- Something serving as an expression of something else.
- A keepsake.
- A piece of stamped metal or plastic, etc., used as a form of currency; a voucher that can be exchanged for goods or services.
- A small physical object, often designed to give the appearance of a common thing, used to represent a person or character in a board game or other situation.
- A minor attempt for appearance's sake, or to minimally comply with a requirement; a formality.
- A member of a group of people that is included within a larger group to comply with a legal or social requirement.
- Evidence, proof; a confirming detail; physical trace, mark, footprint.
- Support for a belief; grounds for an opinion.
- An extraordinary event serving as evidence of supernatural power.
- An object or disclosure to attest or authenticate the bearer or an instruction.
- A seal guaranteeing the quality of an item.
- Something given or shown as a symbol or guarantee of authority or right; a sign of authenticity, of power, good faith.
- Done as an indication or a pledge.
- Perfunctory or merely symbolic; done or existing for appearance's sake, or to minimally comply with a requirement.
- Included in minimal numbers in order to create an impression or illusion of diversity, especially ethnic or gender diversity.
- To betoken, indicate, portend, designate, denote
- To betroth
- To symbolize, instantiate
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
From Middle English token, taken, from Old English tācn (“sign, symbol”), from Proto-West Germanic *taikn, from Proto-Germanic *taikną (“indicator, symbol, sign”), from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- (“to show, instruct, teach”) with Germanic *k rather than *h by Kluge's law. Cognate with Scots takin, taiken (“token, sign”), Saterland Frisian Teken (“sign, symbol”), West Frisian teken (“sign, mark, symbol”), Dutch teken (“sign, indication, symbol”), German Low German Teken (“sign, symbol”), German Zeichen (“sign, token”), Danish tegn (“sign, token, character”), Swedish tecken (“sign, indication”), Faroese tekn, tekin (“mark, sign, signal”), Icelandic teikn (“sign, omen”), Icelandic tákn (“symbol”). The verb is from Middle English toknen, from Old English tācnian.