Emoticon
WordNet
noun
(1) A representation of a facial expression (as a smile or frown) created by typing a sequence of characters in sending email
":-( and :-) are emoticons"
WiktionaryText
Noun
- A graphical representation, either in the form of an image or made up of ASCII characters, of a particular emotion of the writer.
Usage notes
In contexts with image-based emoticons, emoticon often refers specifically to image-based glyphs, while smiley refers to text-based ones.