Ms Bishop, an avid emoji user, deployed the popular icon in an all-emoji interview with Buzzfeed in February.
It has already been described as emoji diplomacy by some commentators.
The questioning on the unusual subject happened at a Senate committee on Thursday.
Labor Senator Penny Wong asked the foreign ministry officials said she wanted to know why Ms Bishop used the "red-faced" sign.
"Is it intended to suggest the foreign minister is angry at President Putin?" Senator Wong asked.
"It may be that the foreign minister is saying she`s angry with him, it may be that she thinks he`s a red-faced angry man, I don`t know," she added.
Liberal Senator George Brandis joined in by saying: "It`s red - not angry."
"It`s red and angry," parried Labor Senator Sam Dastyari. "The red is symbolic of angry - that`s my interpretation."
Julie Bishop later tweeted a promise to translate the emoji language to the senators.
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