obelisk

American  

[ob-uh-lisk] / ˈɒb ə lɪsk /

noun

obelisks plural

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

2. something resembling such a shaft.

3. an obelus.

4. Printing. dagger.

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obelisk British  

/ ˈɒbɪlɪsk /

noun

1. 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

2. printing another name for dagger

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• obeliscal
  adjective
• obeliskoid
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• obelisks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of obelisk

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

Explanation

Next time you visit the nation’s capital, you can wow tourists by telling them the Washington Monument is an obelisk — a tall, narrow stone pillar that tapers to a point at the top and commemorates an important person or event. Obelisks were all the rage in ancient Egypt and still in vogue in Rome’s heyday. The Egyptians associated the skinny four-sided monoliths with the sun god Ra and thought they looked like the sun’s rays shining down. Herodotus was among the first writers to describe obelisks, and it’s to him that we owe the word; it comes from the Greek obelos, meaning “nail” or “pointed pillar.” History buffs can still spot obelisks, also called “Cleopatra’s Needles,” everywhere from Myanmar to Manhattan.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

obelisk obelisks

At a time when the most exciting films were 10 seconds of a train, bored teenagers probably would go berserk at the chance to loiter near an obelisk.

From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026

Tour the Smithsonian Gem Collection whenever you want with this book on the histories of the Star of Asia sapphire, the Dom Pedro Aquamarine obelisk and the Hope Diamond.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 28, 2025

The 92-year-old Pistoletto's most famous work, Il Terzo Paradiso, comprises a three-metre-tall mirrored obelisk and a series of blocks tracing out the mathematical symbol for infinity in the sand.

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2025

Among the GEM showstoppers are a 3,200-year-old, 16m-long suspended obelisk of the powerful pharaoh, Ramesses II, and his massive 11m-high statue.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2025

It took the French twenty-five years before they moved their obelisk to Paris.

From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman

They’ve done it with the obsession of a pharaoh chipping away all mentions of his predecessors from obelisks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2025

A great builder, Ezana is also likely responsible for the construction of several obelisks.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023

Arches and obelisks built to honor generals and faceless victories predominated for hundreds of years.

From New York Times ● Jan. 9, 2023

“Crooked is the path of eternity,” writes the always-cheery Nietzsche, next to a metal etching of a stick figure on a winding trail between two obelisks.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 7, 2021

This: A flat map of ancient Egypt; when the sun is directly overhead, vertical obelisks cast no shadows in Alexandria or Syene.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan