petroglyph

[ pe-truh-glif ]

/ ˈpɛ trəˌglɪf /

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noun

a drawing or carving on rock, made by a member of a prehistoric people.

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Also called petrograph.

Origin of petroglyph

From the French word pétroglyphe, dating back to 1865–70. See petro-¹, glyph

OTHER WORDS FROM petroglyph

pet·ro·glyph·ic, adjectivepe·trog·ly·phy

[pi-trog-luh-fee], /pɪˈtrɒg lə fi/, noun

Words nearby petroglyph

petrodiesel, petrodollar, petrodollars, petrog., petrogenesis, petroglyph, Petrograd, petrogram, petrograph, petrography, petrol

How to use petroglyph in a sentence

Ride Poison Spider Mesa, a hybrid of dirt and rock, and you’ll see arches and petroglyphs.
The 15 Best Off-Roading Destinations in the U.S.|Outside Editors|June 16, 2021|Outside Online
The large figure on the right reminds us of the human form of the petroglyph at Nanaimo.
The Archaeology of the Yakima Valley|Harlan Ingersoll Smith

British Dictionary definitions for petroglyph

petroglyph

/ (ˈpɛtrəˌɡlɪf) /

noun

a drawing or carving on rock, esp a prehistoric one

Word Origin for petroglyph

C19: via French from Greek petra stone + gluphē carving

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