Rebus
/ˈriːbəs/noun
A puzzle that conveys a word or phrase through pictures, symbols, letters, or their sounds.
Did you know?The word comes from the Latin phrase “non verbis, sed rebus”—“not by words, but by things”—and rebus-like visual wordplay also appeared in heraldic emblems called canting arms.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*reh₁-?
“A debated Indo-European root possibly connected with property or things; the deeper origin of Latin res is uncertain.”
Classical Latin
Latin
rēs
“A thing, matter, affair, object, or property.”
Classical Latin
Latin
rēbus
“By things; the ablative plural of rēs.”
16th Century
French
rébus
“A picture-word puzzle or phrase represented through images and letters.”
17th Century
English
rebus
“A puzzle in which words or phrases are represented by pictures, symbols, or combinations of letters.”
Modern English
English
rebus
“A visual puzzle that encodes language through images, symbols, and sounds.”