---
title: symbolize — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «symbolize» in the school dictionary: To symbolize is to stand for an idea or thing, so that it means something more than itself. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# symbolize

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**Who acts:** thing, dove, red heart, hour glass, time · **What happens:** symbolize, be, mean, pass · **To what, where:** something, sign, peace, love

<!-- .vabout -->
«symbolize» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 3 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [symbolize in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/symbolize.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To symbolize is to stand for an idea or thing, so that it means something more than itself.

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:symbolize:m1:1
# text = To symbolize is to stand for an idea or thing, so that it means something more than itself.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	symbolize	symbolize	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	csubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	stand	stand	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	idea	idea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	thing	thing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
12	so	so	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
13	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
14	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	_	_
15	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	advcl	_	_
16	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	15	obj	_	_
17	more	more	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	16	amod	_	_
18	than	than	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
19	itself	itself	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	17	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **symbolize** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn representation-110.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | for a idea or thing; stand *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **mean** | present | thing | something |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent something=Topic |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To symbolize is to be a sign of something: a dove can symbolize peace.

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:symbolize:m2:1
# text = To symbolize is to be a sign of something: a dove can symbolize peace.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	symbolize	symbolize	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	advcl	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
5	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	cop	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	sign	sign	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	7	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	14	punct	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	dove	dove	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nsubj	_	_
13	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	_
14	symbolize	symbolize	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	conj	_	_
15	peace	peace	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **symbolize** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn representation-110.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot |
| 2 | **is a** | present |  | a sign |  |  |  | of something | tree rules |
| 3 | **symbolize** | can | a dove | peace |  |  |  |  | vn representation-110.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot peace=Theme |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A red heart can symbolize love.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:symbolize:x1:1
# text = A red heart can symbolize love.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	red	red	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	heart	heart	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
4	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	symbolize	symbolize	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	love	love	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **symbolize** | can | a red heart | love |  |  |  |  | vn representation-110.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot love=Theme |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The dove symbolizes peace.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:symbolize:x2:1
# text = The dove symbolizes peace.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	dove	dove	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	symbolizes	symbolize	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	peace	peace	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **symbolize** | present | the dove | peace |  |  |  |  | vn representation-110.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot peace=Theme |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The hour-glass symbolizes time passing.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:symbolize:x3:1
# text = The hour-glass symbolizes time passing.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
2	hour	hour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	glass	glass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	symbolizes	symbolize	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
7	passing	pass	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **symbolize** | present | the hour glass |  |  |  | time |  | vn representation-110.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot |
| 2 | **pass** | gerund | time *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

<!-- pn -->
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