Rosetta stone

American  

noun

1. a stone slab, found in 1799 near Rosetta, bearing parallel inscriptions in Greek, Egyptian hieroglyphic, and demotic characters, making possible the decipherment of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.

2. a clue, breakthrough, or discovery that provides crucial knowledge for the solving of a puzzle or problem.

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Rosetta stone British  

noun

1. a basalt slab discovered in 1799 at Rosetta, dating to the reign of Ptolemy V (196 _bc ) and carved with parallel inscriptions in Egyptian hieroglyphics, demotic characters, and Greek, which provided the key to the decipherment of ancient Egyptian texts

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Rosetta stone Cultural  

1. A stone discovered in Egypt (see also Egypt) in the late eighteenth century, inscribed with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and a translation of them in Greek. The stone proved to be the key to understanding Egyptian writing.

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A “Rosetta stone” is the key to understanding a complex problem.

Example Sentences

For now, I continue to study the photos of my polyps like they’re the Rosetta Stone and find solace that I asked for the earlier colonoscopy instead of the later one.

From Los Angeles Times

Funded by the Buckinghamshire-based ME Association and carried out at Imperial College London, the Rosetta Stone study hopes to look for biomarkers and "decode the immunological profile" of both conditions.

From BBC

Much like the Rosetta Stone helped scientists interpret ancient hieroglyphics, V1298 Tau provides a key reference for understanding how the galaxy's most common planets take shape.

From Science Daily

These include the Rosetta Stone, the key to deciphering hieroglyphics, which is on display at the British Museum in London.

From BBC

Prominent Egyptologists argue that its establishment strengthens their demand for key Egyptian antiquities held in other countries to be returned – including the famed Rosetta Stone displayed at the British Museum.

From BBC