Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for sphinx

sphinx

[ sfingks ]

noun

, plural sphinx·es, sphin·ges [sfin, -jeez].
  1. (in ancient Egypt)
    1. a figure of an imaginary creature having the head of a man or an animal and the body of a lion.
    2. (usually initial capital letter) the colossal recumbent stone figure of this kind near the pyramids of Giza.
  2. (initial capital letter) Classical Mythology. a monster, usually represented as having the head and breast of a woman, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle. Seated on a rock outside of Thebes, she proposed a riddle to travelers, killing them when they answered incorrectly, as all did before Oedipus. When he answered her riddle correctly the Sphinx killed herself.
  3. any similar monster.
  4. a mysterious, inscrutable person or thing, especially one given to enigmatic questions or answers.


Sphinx

1

/ sfɪŋks /

noun

  1. Greek myth a monster with a woman's head and a lion's body. She lay outside Thebes, asking travellers a riddle and killing them when they failed to answer it. Oedipus answered the riddle and the Sphinx then killed herself
  2. the huge statue of a sphinx near the pyramids at El Gîza in Egypt, of which the head is a carved portrait of the fourth-dynasty Pharaoh, Chephrēn
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


sphinx

2

/ sfɪŋks /

noun

  1. any of a number of huge stone statues built by the ancient Egyptians, having the body of a lion and the head of a man
  2. an inscrutable person
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Sphinx

1
  1. In the story of Oedipus , a winged monster with the head of a woman and the body of a lion. It waylaid travelers on the roads near the city of Thebes and would kill any of them who could not answer this riddle: “What creatures walk on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?” Oedipus finally gave the correct answer: human beings, who go on all fours as infants, walk upright in maturity, and in old age rely on the “third leg” of a cane.


Sphinx

2
  1. A great sculpture carved from the rock near the Egyptian pyramids in about 2500 b.c. It depicts a creature from Egyptian mythology with the head of a man and the body of a lion. ( See under “Mythology and Folklore.” )
Discover More

Notes

The sphinx of Greek mythology resembles the sphinx of Egyptian mythology but is distinct from it (the Egyptian sphinx had a man's head). ( See under “Fine Arts.” )
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of sphinx1

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin < Greek sphínx, equivalent to sphing-, base of sphíngein to hold tight ( sphincter ) + -s nominative singular ending
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of sphinx1

C16: via Latin from Greek, apparently from sphingein to hold fast
Discover More

Example Sentences

Dulles, Moses recalls, sat as silent as a sphinx, and the meeting ended inconclusively.

The first cat on the catwalk (sorry, we had to) was Vengeance, a 12-week-old Sphinx in an argyle sweater.

Next out was Madeline, a one-and-a-half year old Sphinx in a frilly pink ballerina outfit.

Sphinx cats (think Mr. Bigglesworth) are apparently more likely to tolerate clothing, as they are naturally fur-less.

Betty smiles so rarely on Mad Men that when she does it holds special importance, akin to a sphinx letting her guard down.

But his countenance still bore that sphinx-like expression which so often caused his friends to entertain vague suspicions.

By jove, just that moment—then I caught an expression—I say, do you know you would make a remarkable symbolic study of the Sphinx?

The rain falls, the mud deepens; the beautiful sphinx lies still, her eyes lost in the dull horizon.

The sphinx, which men have imagined concealing herself in the cloud, seemed to mock him with a dilemma.

A terrible sphinx propounding a terrible riddle; the riddle of the existence of Evil.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


sphingosinesphinxlike