hieroglyphic
[ hahy-er-uh-glif-ik, hahy-ruh- ]
/ ˌhaɪ ər əˈglɪf ɪk, ˌhaɪ rə- /
adjective
Also hi·er·o·glyph·i·cal. designating or pertaining to a pictographic script, particularly that of the ancient Egyptians, in which many of the symbols are conventionalized, recognizable pictures of the things represented.
inscribed with hieroglyphic symbols.
hard to decipher; hard to read.
noun
RELATED CONTENT
Meet The Animal That Inspired The Letter AThere is quite a bit of mystery surrounding the letter A. From its prestigious first place position to its interesting shape, tracing the first letter of the English alphabet uncovers a history that begins with, of all things, an ox. Where does the letter A come from? The letter A is derived from the Phoenician letter aleph —a western Semitic word referring to the aforementioned beast of burden. …
Meet The Animal That Inspired The Letter AThere is quite a bit of mystery surrounding the letter A. From its prestigious first place position to its interesting shape, tracing the first letter of the English alphabet uncovers a history that begins with, of all things, an ox. Where does the letter A come from? The letter A is derived from the Phoenician letter aleph —a western Semitic word referring to the aforementioned beast of burden. …
Nearby words
hieratic, hiero-, hierocracy, hierodeacon, hierodule, hieroglyphic, hieroglyphic hittite, hieroglyphics, hieroglyphist, hieroglyphology, hierogram
Origin of hieroglyphic
Related forms
hi·er·o·glyph·i·cal·ly, adverbDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for hieroglyph
British Dictionary definitions for hieroglyph
hieroglyphic
/ (ˌhaɪərəˈɡlɪfɪk) /
adjective Also: hieroglyphical
of or relating to a form of writing using picture symbols, esp as used in ancient Egypt
written with hieroglyphic symbols
difficult to read or decipher
noun Also: hieroglyph
a picture or symbol representing an object, concept, or sound
a symbol or picture that is difficult to read or decipher
Derived Forms
hieroglyphically, adverbhieroglyphist (ˌhaɪərəˈɡlɪfɪst, ˌhaɪəˈrɒɡ-), nounWord Origin for hieroglyphic
C16: from Late Latin hieroglyphicus, from Greek hierogluphikos, from hiero- + gluphē carving, from gluphein to carve
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012