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token

/ˈtəʊkən/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about token at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. An individual instance of a type of symbol.
    the word `error' contains three tokens of `r'
  2. Something serving as a sign of something else.
  3. A metal or plastic disk that can be redeemed or used in designated slot machines.

adjective

  1. Insignificantly small; a matter of form only (`tokenish' is informal).
    the fee was nominal

Origin

From Middle English token, taken, from Old English tācn (“sign, symbol”), from Proto-West Germanic *taikn, from Proto-Germanic *taikną (“indicator, symbol, sign”), from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- (“to show, instruct, teach”) with Germanic *k rather than *h by Kluge's law.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)