Symbol

Symbol- sym·bol
noun /ˈsimbəl/ 
symbols, plural

The AP definition:
-Something which stands for something else, yet has a meaning of its own.

The dictionary definitions:
-A thing that represents or stands for something else, esp. a material object representing something abstract
the limousine was another symbol of his wealth and authority
-A mark or character used as a conventional representation of an object, function, or process, e.g., the letter or letters standing for a chemical element or a character in musical notation
-A shape or sign used to represent something such as an organization, e.g., a red cross or a Star of David

Look down at your keyboard, and see the characters attached to corresponding numbered keys. These are symbols. They stand for something else, but have their own meaning...
# is a hashtag, and represents a number,
& represents the word 'and',
% is used as 'percent', and,
$ is a dollar sign, used to discuss money.
There are also more symbols available on a computer...
♥ is a heart, which can represent a heart or love,
≈ means 'approximately',
♀ stands for 'female', and
∞ means 'infinity'.
Symbols are also used in religion...
✡ this is the Star of David, the symbol of the Jewish religion,
✞ this is a cross, often used to represent the death of Jesus.

Symbols are a huge part of literature.
You can find examples of symbolism in nearly everything you read, if you look out for them. One of my favorite examples of symbolism is in Harry Potter. Every student at Hogwarts is sorted into one of the four houses, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw. Each house has different qualities that make it special, and has a symbol to match it. For example, Gryffindor's symbol is a lion, because Gryffindors are said to be courageous, and Slytherin's symbol is a snake, because although they are smart, they have a dark side to them.

Symbolism in Literature