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hieroglyphic

noun
/ˌhaɪɹəˈɡlɪfɪk/

Etymology

First coined 1726, from French hiéroglyphique, from Latin hieroglyphicus, from Ancient Greek ἱερογλυφικός (hierogluphikós), from ἱερογλυφέω (hierogluphéō, “to represent hieroglyphically”), from ἱερός (hierós, “sacred, holy”) + γλύφω (glúphō, “to carve, to engrave, to cut out”). By surface analysis, hiero- + glyphic.

  1. derived from ἱερογλυφικός
  2. derived from hieroglyphicus
  3. borrowed from hiéroglyphique

Definitions

  1. A writing system of ancient Egypt, Minoans, Maya and other civilizations, using pictorial…

    A writing system of ancient Egypt, Minoans, Maya and other civilizations, using pictorial symbols to represent individual sounds, often as a rebus.

  2. Any symbol used in this system

    Any symbol used in this system; a hieroglyph.

    • I must say, that, at the coronation, there was little vestige left as possible "of the charms that pleased a king." "She looked," Lady Mary Wortley said, "like an Egyptian mummy, wrought with hieroglyphics of gold."
    • The hieroglyphics or symbols, however, were reversed, just as though they had been pressed on wax.

  3. Undecipherable handwriting or secret symbol.

  4. ›+ 2 more definitions

    1. Of, relating to, or written with such a system of symbols.

      • the hieroglyphic writing of ancient Egypt
      • a hieroglyphic obelisk
      • 'Is there any meaning, do you think?' 'That little arrangement comes in more than once,' said Elsie, indicating a hieroglyphic twist. 'I'm sure it must mean something.'

    2. Difficult to decipher.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for hieroglyphic. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA