Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
adj
Of, relating to, or written with such a system of symbols.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Difficult to decipher.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A writing system of ancient Egypt, Minoans, Maya and other civilizations, using pictorial symbols to represent individual sounds, often as a rebus.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: in-plural
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Any symbol used in this system; a hieroglyph.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Undecipherable handwriting or secret symbol.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective
written in or belonging to a writing system using pictorial symbols
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: hieroglyphical
Antonyms: none provided
adjective
resembling hieroglyphic writing
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: hieroglyphical
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a writing system using picture symbols; used in ancient Egypt
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: hieroglyph
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: orthography, writing system
Narrower terms: hieratic, hieratic script
noun
writing that resembles hieroglyphics (usually by being illegible)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: hieroglyph
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: writing
History
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.
Across languages
18 source translations are retained for this English entry.
