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

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Etymology

Origin of obelisk

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

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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

In a glass case below the latter is a book featuring the obelisk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

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

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

He is coming here to witness the raising of his obelisk on our shores and to celebrate his third decade of reign.

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

While secondary to plants, built structures, such as an arbor, sculptural obelisks or a humble tipi, support wandering vines and furnish another layer of enclosure.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 9, 2024

The priests were standing near a field of ancient obelisks, or stelae, which date from the 4th Century.

From BBC ● Dec. 1, 2023

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

From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023

We only have a small number of obelisks in all of Egypt.

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

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