hieroglyphic Definition
hi·ero·glyphic (hī′ər ō′glif′ik, hī′rə glif′ik)
adjective
- of, or having the nature of, hieroglyphics
- written in hieroglyphics
- hard to read or understand
Etymology: Fr hiéroglyphique < LL hieroglyphicus < Gr hieroglyphikos < hieros, sacred (see hiero-) + glyphein, to carve, hollow out: see glyph
noun
- a picture or symbol representing a word, syllable, or sound, used by the ancient Egyptians and others instead of alphabetical letters
- a method of writing using hieroglyphics; picture writing
- a symbol, sign, etc. hard to understand
- writing hard to decipher
hieroglyphic Related Forms
hi′·ero′·glyph′i·cally adverb
hieroglyphic Usage Examples
Converse of object
- decipher: The mission is named after the Rosetta stone, which provided the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics.
- use: Could you learn to write your name using hieroglyphics in class?
- translate: In the 17th century, Athanasius Kircher wrote about the Egyptians and attempted to translate hieroglyphics, although his theories have since been overturned.
- find: Dear Customer, According to ancient hieroglyphics found in Egypt, the Pharaohs believed that mushrooms were the food of immortality.
- have: Each of the separate piles should have a certain hieroglyphic, ' cause there are bunches of different kinds of cards.
- explain: Rosetta is named after the stone that explained Egyptian hieroglyphics, thus laying bare the culture of the Pharoahs to modern eyes.
Preposition: on
- papyrus: The fourth activity was to write our names in hieroglyphics on papyrus.
- wall: Fortunately there are hieroglyphics on the walls that tell our intrepid ( and doomed ) team what's happening.
Adjective modifier
- Egyptian: Now there's no excuse for not knowing how to write your name in Egyptian hieroglyphics.
- ancient: A notable ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic was formed of two serpents in connection with a globe or egg, representing the world.
- Mayan: He considers pictographic languages ranging from the natural Mayan hieroglyphics and Sumerian cuneiform, to recent experiments such as Elephant's Memory.
- strange: But it doesn't look much like what was on the page before - it's full of strange hieroglyphics!
- certain: Each of the separate piles should have a certain hieroglyphic, ' cause there are bunches of different kinds of cards.
- curious: In the left-hand corner is a curious hieroglyphic like four crosses in a line with their arms touching.
Modifies a noun
- stairway: Town hall meetings construct a nearly Moto reporter cruises Mexico City streets for news their groups hieroglyphic stairway at.
- inscription: Together with his knowledge of the Coptic language, which derived from ancient Egyptian, this allowed him to begin reading hieroglyphic inscriptions fully.
- script: The real hieroglyphic script, rongorongo, is a feature of its ancient culture.
- writing: Many people had been trying to work out Egyptian hieroglyphic writing for 1,400 years, without success.
- symbol: A picture of this feature was often used as the hieroglyphic symbol both for her name and for the noun " truth " .
- text: The paper covers the study of hieroglyphic texts in Middle Egyptian, the classic form of the language.
Browse dictionary entries near hieroglyphic
- ‹ hieroglyph
- ‹ hierodule
- ‹ hierocracy
- ‹ hiero-
- ‹ hieratic
- ‹ hierarchy
- ‹ hierarchism
- ‹ hierarchical
- ‹ hierarchal
- ‹ hierarch
- hierology ›
- Hieronymus ›
- hierophant ›
- hifalutin ›
- Higashiosaka ›
- Higginson ›
- higgle ›
- higgledy-piggledy ›
- Higgs boson ›
- high ›

