Hieroglyphic Definition

hīər-ə-glĭfĭk, hīrə-
hieroglyphics
adjective
Of, or having the nature of, hieroglyphics.
Webster's New World
Of, relating to, or being a system of writing, such as that of ancient Egypt, in which pictorial symbols are used to represent meaning or sounds or a combination of meaning and sound.
American Heritage
Written in hieroglyphs.
Webster's New World
Hard to read or understand.
Webster's New World
noun
hieroglyphics
A hieroglyph.
American Heritage
Webster's New World
Writing that is hard to decipher.
Webster's New World
A method of writing using hieroglyphs; picture writing.
Webster's New World
Wiktionary
Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Hieroglyphic

Noun

Singular:
hieroglyphic
Plural:
hieroglyphics

Origin of Hieroglyphic

  • First coined 1726, from Middle French hiéroglyphique, from Latin hieroglyphicus, from Ancient Greek ἱερογλυφικός (hierogluphikos), from ἱερογλυφέω (hieroglupheō, “to represent hieroglyphically”), from ἱερός (hieros, “sacred, holy”) + γλύφω (gluphō, “to carve, to engrave, to cut out”)

    From Wiktionary

  • French hiéroglyphique from Late Latin hieroglyphicus from Greek hierogluphikos hieros holy eis- in Indo-European roots gluphē carving (from gluphein to carve gleubh- in Indo-European roots)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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hieroglyphic