obelisk

[ ob-uh-lisk ]

/ ˈɒb ə lɪsk /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR obelisk ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a tapering, four-sided shaft of stone, usually monolithic and having a pyramidal apex.

something resembling such a shaft.

an obelus.

Printing. dagger(def 2).

Content related to obelisk

English Words From The Pharaohs Most people recognize Ancient Greek and Latin as the primary donors to the English language. However, some of the most ancient words in English actually trace back to Ancient Egypt.

Words related to obelisk

shaft, dagger, column, pillar, needle, mark, monument, monolith, tower, pylon

Words nearby obelisk

obedientiary, obeid, obeisance, obelia, obelion, obelisk, obelize, obelus, obento, oberammergau, oberhausen

Origin of obelisk

1540–50; < Latin obeliscus < Greek obelískos small spit, equivalent to obel(ós) spit, pointed pillar + -iskos diminutive suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM obelisk

ob·e·lis·cal, adjectiveob·e·lis·koid, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for obelisk

After years of negotiations and a tough journey, the obelisk was planted at the Place de la Concorde.
The Nile: Where Ancient and Modern Meet|William O’Connor|June 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On the top of the obelisk is a 100-ounce aluminum cap, which acts as a lightning rod.
Weird Washington Monument History|William O’Connor|May 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Whereupon she made a few quick revolutions, landing up against the granite base of the obelisk.
The Poor Little Rich Girl|Eleanor Gates
The obelisk is from another of Nature's patterns; it is only a gigantic acicular crystal.
Over the Teacups|Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

No other obelisk approaches within twelve feet of its elevation, or within fifty tons of its weight.
Ancient Egypt|George Rawlinson
The piazza of the Trinità de' Monti was solitary and deserted, left to the guardianship of its obelisk.
The Child of Pleasure|Gabriele D'Annunzio
And how admirably did the obelisk lend itself to its symbolical purposes!
Roman Mosaics|Hugh Macmillan

British Dictionary definitions for obelisk

obelisk

/ (ˈɒbɪlɪsk) /

noun

a stone pillar having a square or rectangular cross section and sides that taper towards a pyramidal top, often used as a monument in ancient Egypt

printing another name for dagger (def. 2)

Derived forms of obelisk

obeliscal, adjectiveobeliskoid, adjective

Word Origin for obelisk

C16: via Latin from Greek obeliskos a little spit, from obelos spit

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