Emoji: "A small digital image or icon used to express an idea, emotion, etc., in electronic communications."
Source: Oxford English Dictionary
Emoticon or Emoji?
Emoticon: "An emoticon is a computer keyboard-generated sign that represents facial expressions. Used in computer-mediated communication, emoticons provide an emotional quality to e-mails, texts, instant messaging, and other Internet communication."
Source: Faces around the World: A Cultural Encyclopedia of the Human Face. Margo DeMello. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2012. p80-83. Gale Virtual Reference Library