noun
rebus
REE-buhs
noun
1
A puzzle that uses pictures or symbols to represent words or parts of words.
"The greeting card had a rebus that spelled out "I love you" with a heart and an eye."
How to Use Rebus
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA picture-puzzle where images stand in for words or sounds.
Common pairings
solve a rebus
a rebus puzzle
Word Forms
rebused past tense, rebussed past tense, rebuses plural, rebusses plural, rebi plural, rebuses singular, rebusses singular
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The greeting card had a _____ that spelled out "I love you" with a heart and an eye.
Etymology
From French rébus, probably from Latin rēbus ("by things"), though the exact link between the Latin phrase and the puzzle sense is uncertain.