ideograph

For example, the ideograph meaning "to speak" is a mouth with two words and a flame coming out of it.

Thus a chessboard was an ideograph, and stood for a gift, and sometimes a building.

The parcel-post, an hour later, brought him his own ideograph, returned without a word.

The same ideograph Im that signifies Ramman also means distress.

Some Japanese newspapers have undertaken to limit themselves in the use of the ideograph.