Kufic

American  

[koo-fik] / ˈku fɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to Kufa or its inhabitants.

2. noting or pertaining to the characters of the Arabic alphabet used in the writing of the original Quran, in the time of Muhammad.

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noun

1. the Kufic alphabet.

Kufic British  

/ ˈkuːfɪk, ˈkjuː- /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or denoting an early form of the Arabic alphabet employed in making copies of the Koran

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noun

1. the script formed by the letters of this alphabet

Etymology

Origin of Kufic

First recorded in 1785–95; Kuf(a) + -ic

Example Sentences

The cathedral’s massive blackened bronze door is carved with intricate, geometric Arabic calligraphy called Kufic and wide enough to let a team of horses through.

From New York Times • Aug. 30, 2022

The squarish Kufic script, its hard angles a counterpoint to the floral excesses of the rest of the design, snaked its way up in bright blue over the two minarets.

From New York Times • May 11, 2020

There it was, its swollen pages of gazelle skin inscribed with the bold black letters of the Kufic script.

From New York Times • May 11, 2020

Near the bottom the words appeared in the old Kufic script - the letters were wide and blocky.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2016

"Wa l� gh�lib �l� Allah"—"there is none victorious but God"—abounds here, as at the Alhambra, and there are some very neat specimens of the Kufic character.

From Life in Morocco and Glimpses Beyond by Meakin, Budgett