sphinx
sphinx Lexical Profile
sphinx Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A mythical creature of ancient Egyptian and Greek tradition, typically depicted with the body of a lion and the head of a human, ram, or hawk, celebrated in Greek myth as a winged monster at Thebes that posed fatal riddles to travelers.
"The ancient limestone statue of a sphinx guarded the entrance to the pharaoh's temple."
An enigmatic, inscrutable, or mysterious person who keeps their thoughts and intentions hidden.
"Throughout the tense negotiations, the diplomat remained a complete sphinx, betraying no emotion whatsoever."
Any stout-bodied, strong-flying moth of the family Sphingidae (also known as a hawk moth), whose large caterpillars typically rear up in a posture fancied to resemble the Egyptian statue.
"At dusk, a large sphinx hovered beside the honeysuckle blossoms like a tiny hummingbird."
The Guinea baboon (Papio papio), a reddish-brown Old World monkey native to West Africa, or a variant spelling of the hairless Sphynx breed of domestic cat.
"The wildlife sanctuary in Senegal monitors several troops of the West African sphinx."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'sphinx' with 'Sphynx', the latter being the standard spelling for the hairless breed of domestic cat.
• Rhymes for sphinx
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via Latin from the Ancient Greek 'Sphinx', traditionally associated with the verb 'sphingein' meaning 'to squeeze' or 'to throttle' (referring to the Greek monster that strangled those who failed to answer her riddle), though likely influenced by the Ancient Egyptian phrase 'shesep-ankh' meaning 'living image'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.