[f. SYMBOL sb.1 + -IST; cf. prec. In sense 2 c after F. symboliste.]
1. Ch. Hist. One who holds that the elements in the Eucharist are mere symbols of the body and blood of Christ. Obs. exc. Hist.
1585–7. T. Rogers, 39 Art., xxviii. (1625), 176. The Symbolists, Figurists, and Significatists, who are of opinion that the faithfull at the Lords Supper, doe receiue nothing but naked, and bare signes.
1839. Milman, Life Gibbon, v. 144, note. An amicable compromise between the Symbolists and Anti-Symbolists of Germany.
2. One who uses symbols, or practises symbolism.
1812. Southey, Omniana, I. 48. The whim of some violent symbolist.
1865. C. Stanford, Symb. Christ, vii. 183. ‘My dark and cloudy words, they do but hold The truth, as cabinets enclose the gold.’ So did the Puritan symbolist speak.
b. One who uses written symbols.
1881. Venn, Symbolic Logic, Introd. p. xxxiii. Examples which however simple they may seem to a modern symbolist represent a very great advance beyond the syllogism.
c. One who uses symbolism in art or literature: (a) A painter who aims at symbolizing ideas rather than representing the form or aspect of actual objects; spec. applied to a recent school of painters who use representations of objects and schemes of color to suggest ideas or states of mind. (b) One of a recent school of French poets who aim at representing ideas and emotions by indirect suggestion rather than by direct expression, and attach a symbolic meaning to particular objects, words, sounds, etc. (Cf. quots. s.v. SYMBOLISM 1 d.) Also attrib.
1892. Spectator, 30 Jan., 168/1 (heading), Art. At the Old Masters. II. [Dialogue between] A Symbolist [and] an Impressionist.
1894. Tablet, 27 Jan., 122. Verlaine, and the other French ‘Symbolists’ as they are called, in poetry.
1899. A. Symons (title), The Symbolist Movement in Literature.
1902. Encycl. Brit., XXVIII. 497/1. The Symbolist school … aimed at greater freedom, a less strict prosody, and a more musical poetry.
1905. Westm. Gaz., 25 Feb., 16/3. ‘Well, do as you like,’ the symbolist [sc. Boecklin] said, ‘but without a vermilion cow you’ll never make a picture of that thing.’
1907. Dublin Rev., Oct., 407. The great Symbolist, Joris Karl Huysmans.
3. One versed in the study or interpretation of symbols or symbolism.
1839. T. Mitchell, Frogs of Aristoph., Introd. p. lxxxiii. The authorities on which the learned symbolist relies.
1907. Westm. Gaz., 20 Feb., 4/3. Blake’s ‘Jerusalem’ … is not easy reading even to a symbolist confident of his key.
Hence Symbolistic, -ical adjs., pertaining to or characteristic of a symbolist (esp. in sense 2 c); belonging to or characterized by symbolism; Symbolistically adv., in the manner of a symbolist; in the way of symbolism.
1864. Webster, Symbolistic, Symbolistical, characterized by the use of symbols; as, symbolistic poetry.
1903. F. B. Smith, How Paris Amuses Itself, ii. 42. The pensive, long-haired devotees of the symbolistic school.
1912. English Rev., Dec., 86. The scenes … reverting, symbolistically … to the scene started from, where the ‘stranger’ is seen sitting on a bench, scratching the sand with a stick.
