emo·ti·con 
/ɪˈmoʊtɪˌkɑ:n/ noun
plural emo·ti·cons /ɪˈmoʊtɪˌkɑ:n/ noun [count] : a group of keyboard characters that are used to represent a facial expression (such as a smile or frown) ◊Emoticons are used by people writing on computers to indicate the tone or attitude of what is written. People often use a smiling emoticon like :-) to show that their comments are meant in a friendly or joking way.
