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petroglyph

[pe-truh-glif]
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noun
  1. a drawing or carving on rock, made by a member of a prehistoric people.
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Origin of petroglyph

From the French word pétroglyphe, dating back to 1865–70. See petro-1, glyph
Also called petrograph.
Related formspet·ro·glyph·ic, adjectivepe·trog·ly·phy [pi-trog-luh-fee] /pɪˈtrɒg lə fi/, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for petroglyph

Historical Examples

  • 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

noun
  1. a drawing or carving on rock, esp a prehistoric one
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Word Origin

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

Word Origin and History for petroglyph

n.

1870, from French pétroglyphe, from Greek petra "rock" (see petrous) + glyphe "carving" (see glyph).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper