shawabti

[ shuh-wab-tee ]

noun
  1. a figurine placed in an ancient Egyptian tomb to serve as a slave for the soul or as a substitute for the soul in performing forced labor.

Origin of shawabti

1
1920–25; <Egyptian šwʾbt(y), later known as wšbty literally, answerer; perhaps derivative of šw'b kind of wood

Words Nearby shawabti

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use shawabti in a sentence

  • Each figure is also inscribed with the usual shawabti text in horizontal lines across the front and sides of the body.

    Five Years' Explorations at Thebes | George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Carnarvon
  • A group of broken shawabti figures, blue faience, of Zed-Khensu-auf-ankh.

    Five Years' Explorations at Thebes | George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Carnarvon