hieroglyphic
Americanadjective
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Also hieroglyphical. designating or pertaining to a pictographic script, particularly that of the ancient Egyptians, in which many of the symbols are conventionalized, recognizable pictures of the things represented.
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inscribed with hieroglyphic symbols.
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hard to decipher; hard to read.
noun
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Also hieroglyph a hieroglyphic symbol.
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Usually hieroglyphics. hieroglyphic writing.
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a figure or symbol with a hidden meaning.
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hieroglyphics, handwriting, figures, characters, code, etc., difficult to decipher.
the confusing hieroglyphics of advanced mathematics.
adjective
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of or relating to a form of writing using picture symbols, esp as used in ancient Egypt
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written with hieroglyphic symbols
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difficult to read or decipher
noun
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a picture or symbol representing an object, concept, or sound
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a symbol or picture that is difficult to read or decipher
Other Word Forms
- hieroglyphically adverb
- hieroglyphist noun
Etymology
Origin of hieroglyphic
1575–85; < Late Latin hieroglyphicus < Greek hieroglyphikós “pertaining to sacred writing.” See hiero-, glyph ( def. ), -ic ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A math lesson, for instance, might feature hieroglyphic numerals.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 26, 2023
The roots of hieroglyphic writing can be traced to the time before the Early Dynastic Period when the first written symbols emerged.
From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023
"It is rare to find hieroglyphic writing at this Maya site, and even rarer to find a complete text. This hasn't happened in 11 years," archaeologist Francisco Pérez Ruiz explained.
From BBC • Apr. 12, 2023
"In this Mayan site, it is rare to find hieroglyphic writing, let alone a complete text," said Francisco Perez, one of the archaeologists coordinating the investigations in the Chichanchob complex, also called Casa Colorada.
From Reuters • Apr. 11, 2023
The next few meetings of the Egyptians were taken up with finishing the hieroglyphic alphabet and memorizing it.
From "The Egypt Game" by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
