cuneiform

[ kyoo-nee-uh-fawrm, kyoo-nee-uh- ]

adjective

1. having the form of a wedge; wedge-shaped.
2. composed of slim triangular or wedge-shaped elements, as the characters used in writing by the ancient Akkadians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and others.
3. written in cuneiform characters:

   cuneiform inscription.

4. Anatomy. noting or pertaining to any of various wedge-shaped bones, as of the tarsus.

noun

1. cuneiform characters or writing.
2. a cuneiform bone.

cuneiform

/ ˈkjuːnɪˌfɔːm /

adjective

1. Alsocuneal wedge-shaped
2. of, relating to, or denoting the wedge-shaped characters employed in the writing of several ancient languages of Mesopotamia and Persia, esp Sumerian, Babylonian, etc
3. of or relating to a tablet in which this script is employed
4. of or relating to any of the three tarsal bones

noun

1. cuneiform characters or writing
2. any one of the three tarsal bones

Word History and Origins

Origin of cuneiform¹

First recorded in 1670–80; from Latin cune(us) “a wedge” + -i- + -form

Word History and Origins

Origin of cuneiform¹

C17: probably from Old French cunéiforme, from Latin cuneus wedge

Example Sentences

To this day, my notes look like something between cuneiform and the lines from furniture on wooden floors after decades of wear and tear.

From Los Angeles Times

"Up until now it has been difficult to access the content of many cuneiform tablets at once -- you sort of need to know exactly what you are looking for and where," Mara adds.

From Science Daily

Another set of cuneiform tablets detailed how to interpret the motion of celestial bodies.

From National Geographic

Many of the earliest documented examples of writing come from languages that used cuneiform script, which featured wedge-shaped characters impressed into clay tablets.

From Scientific American

From cuneiform clay tablets to computer keyboards, the writing process has changed very little for thousands of years.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• calligraphy
• handwriting
• print
• script