sphinx
sphinx
Definition
sphinx (sfiŋks)
noun pl. sphinx′es or sphin′·ges′sfin′jēz′
- Gr. Myth.
- a winged monster with a lion's body and the head and breasts of a woman
- a sphinx at Thebes that strangles passersby who are unable to guess its riddle
- any ancient Egyptian statue or figure having, typically, the body of a lion and the head of a man, ram, or hawk
- a huge statue having the body of a lion and the head of a man, at Gîza, near Cairo, Egypt
- a person who is difficult to know or understand
- Zool. hawk moth
Etymology: ME spynx < L sphinx < Gr, lit., the strangler < sphingein: see sphincter
sphinx
Usage Examples
Converse of object
- see: First to Giza, where youâll stand in wonder at the huge Pyramids and see the enigmatic Sphinx.
- have: We got the idea of having a sphinx like cat on the cover from Chris's cat.
- resemble: These winged creatures, probably winged lions with human faces, resembling the sphinx, formed a chair on which Yahweh was invisibly enthroned.
- do: Does the Sphinx really have the body of a lion?
Converse of subject
- flank: Ducrow's tomb is rather special and shaped like an Egyptian temple, flanked by four sphinxes.
Adjective modifier
- Egyptian: The shape and size of those hills resemble what one might expect for eroded remnants of structures the shape of the Egyptian Sphinx.
- great: The Great Sphinx dated to within a few years of 2500 BC.
- enigmatic: First to Giza, where youâll stand in wonder at the huge Pyramids and see the enigmatic Sphinx.
- giant: Beside the great pyramids at Giza stands a giant sphinx ( a lion's body with a man's head ).
- famous: The most famous Sphinx is the Great Sphinx at Giza.
- ram-headed: This includes an impressive avenue of ram-headed sphinxes and is oriented to the summer solstice at sunset.
Modifies a noun
- moth: The Service is currently funding research examining the life history, captive rearing, and conservation biology of the sphinx moth.
- statue: A new voice starts to speak from various sphinx statues.
Noun used with modifier
- stone: A stone sphinx comes to life to wreak revenge upon a temple defiler.
Possessives
Browse dictionary entries near sphinx
- sphingid
- sphincter
- sphery
- spherulite
- spherule
- spherometer
- spheroid
- spherics
- sphericity
- spherical trigonometry
- sphragistics
- sphygmic
- sphygmo-
- sphygmogram
- sphygmograph
- sphygmomanometer
- sphygmometer
- spic
- spica
- spicate
