Rosetta stone

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.

Rosetta stone

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

Rosetta stone

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.

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

Example Sentences

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

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"Now I want two things: number one, museums to stop buying stolen artefacts and number two, I need three objects to come back: the Rosetta Stone from the British Museum, the Zodiac from the Louvre and the Bust of Nefertiti from Berlin," says Dr Hawass.

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The Rosetta Stone, found in 1799, provided the key to deciphering hieroglyphics; it was discovered by the French army and was seized by the British as war booty.

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The British Museum told the BBC that it had received: "No formal requests for either the return or the loan of the Rosetta Stone from the Egyptian Government."

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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.

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