definitions

obelisk

[ ob-uh-lisk ]
/ ˈɒb ə lɪsk /
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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).

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RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

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

Related forms

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

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

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