hieroglyph
hieroglyph Lexical Profile
hieroglyph Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A stylized picture of an object representing a word, syllable, or sound, as found in ancient Egyptian and certain other writing systems (such as Mayan).
"The archaeologist carefully traced the owl hieroglyph carved into the limestone tomb wall."
An enigmatic, illegible, or incomprehensible symbol or piece of writing.
"The doctor's hurried prescription was a series of cramped hieroglyphs that only the pharmacist could decipher."
Word Nuance & Usage
In modern Egyptology, 'hieroglyph' is the standard noun for an individual character, whereas 'hieroglyphic' is preferred as an adjective (though 'hieroglyphics' remains common in general usage as a plural noun for the writing system as a whole).
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via French and Late Latin from Ancient Greek 'hieroglyphikos', a compound of 'hieros' (sacred) and 'glyphein' (to carve), originally referring to the sacred monumental carvings on Egyptian temple walls.