The term "emoji" refers to small, digital images or icons used to express ideas, emotions, or concepts in electronic communication. They are often used in text messages, social media posts, and emails to add emotional nuance to written communication. Emojis can represent facial expressions, objects, activities, animals, and various symbols.
The word "emoji" comes from the Japanese words "e" (絵) meaning "picture" and "moji" (文字) meaning "character." The term emerged in the late 1990s with the development of mobile communications in Japan.