hieroglyphic

[ hahy-er-uh-glif-ik, hahy-ruh- ]

/ ˌhaɪ ər əˈglɪf ɪk, ˌhaɪ rə- /

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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

Also hi·er·o·glyph. a hieroglyphic symbol.

Usually hieroglyphics. hieroglyphic writing.

a figure or symbol with a hidden meaning.

hieroglyphics, handwriting, figures, characters, code, etc., difficult to decipher: the confusing hieroglyphics of advanced mathematics.

Nearby words

hiero-, hierocracy, hierodeacon, hierodule, hieroglyph, hieroglyphic, hieroglyphic hittite, hieroglyphics, hieroglyphist, hieroglyphology, hierogram

Origin of hieroglyphic

1575–85; < Late Latin hieroglyphicus < Greek hieroglyphikós “pertaining to sacred writing.” See hiero-, glyph, -ic

Related forms

hi·er·o·glyph·i·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hieroglyphic

In ancient Egypt, two modes of writing were practised, namely, the common and the hieroglyphic.
The Senses and The Mind|Anonymous
Their language, however, fixed by a hieroglyphic mode of writing, appears to belong to the Burmese family.
The Races of Man|Joseph Deniker
Some hieroglyphic tablets, in one of which oxen are represented drawing a stone placed on a sledge.
The Overland Guide-book|James Barber
The cut given above shows the 513 method by which the Aztecs represented their month, with the hieroglyphic names of each day.
The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 2|Hubert Howe Bancroft

In the inscriptions of the fifth dynasty we meet with the hieroglyphic sign of the obelisk .
The New York Obelisk|Charles E. Moldenke

British Dictionary definitions for hieroglyphic

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-), noun

Word 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