Linear A

American  

noun

1. an ancient system of writing, not yet deciphered, inscribed on clay tablets, pottery, and other objects found at Minoan sites on Crete and other Greek islands.

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Linear A British  

noun

1. a hitherto undeciphered script, partly syllabic and partly ideographic, found on tablets and pottery in Crete and dating mainly from the 15th century _bc

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Etymology

Origin of Linear A

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

It is not as linear a book as “Just Kids,” but that is not by default a negative, because it has a different purpose.

From Salon • Nov. 11, 2025

“Human beings aren’t linear, but it’s about as linear a progression as can be so far,” Cole said during a conversation on the field a day earlier.

From New York Times • Sep. 2, 2021

A double-play combination may radiate exquisite timing and cooperation, but the process of getting two runners out is still linear, a matter of performing one delicate, discrete act after another.

From Time Magazine Archive

Sori linear, a row on either side of the midvein, and at right angles to it, the indusium appearing to be double.

From The Fern Lover's Companion A Guide for the Northeastern States and Canada by Tilton, George Henry

Leaves.—All radical; broadly linear; a foot or more long.

From The Wild Flowers of California: Their Names, Haunts, and Habits by Parsons, Mary Elizabeth