–adjective
1. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of an icon.
2. Art . (of statues, portraits, etc.) executed according to a convention or tradition.
At Art school I was led to believe that icons were small, mostly Russian Orthodox paintings that exemplify a particular figure or possibly, by extension idea. Overuse of iconic has reached such epic proportions that a column in Private Eye for uses of the word is overdue.
Great one tonight on Radio 4, 6 o'clock news by Caroline Spellman, presumably minister for slack and lazy statements. She spoke of "iconic forests".
Why we should be worried about bonsai trees in model villages I have no idea!
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A selection of iconic images |