cuneiform
Americanadjective
-
having the form of a wedge; wedge-shaped.
-
composed of slim triangular or wedge-shaped elements, as the characters used in writing by the ancient Akkadians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and others.
-
written in cuneiform characters.
cuneiform inscription.
-
Anatomy. noting or pertaining to any of various wedge-shaped bones, as of the tarsus.
noun
-
cuneiform characters or writing.
-
a cuneiform bone.
adjective
-
Also: cuneal. wedge-shaped
-
of, relating to, or denoting the wedge-shaped characters employed in the writing of several ancient languages of Mesopotamia and Persia, esp Sumerian, Babylonian, etc
-
of or relating to a tablet in which this script is employed
-
of or relating to any of the three tarsal bones
noun
-
cuneiform characters or writing
-
any one of the three tarsal bones
Etymology
Origin of cuneiform
First recorded in 1670–80; from Latin cune(us) “a wedge” + -i- + -form
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But Iraqi officials repeatedly urged them to depart, despite their discovery of ancient cuneiform tablets.
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
They assessed how much information the signs could potentially convey and compared that capacity with early cuneiform and modern writing.
From Science Daily • Feb. 25, 2026
Some of these include cuneiform bricks, terracotta pots, coins and other objects sourced from places like Babylon, Mesopotamia, Susa and Iran and are dated to 4000-5000 BCE.
From BBC • May 16, 2025
To this day, my notes look like something between cuneiform and the lines from furniture on wooden floors after decades of wear and tear.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2024
But cuneiform was found in museums, displayed in glass cases and preserved as something precious, not scratched into a steel slaughterhouse.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
