Hieroglyphic

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ËŒhaɪɹəˈɡlɪfɪk/
• Rhymes: -ɪfɪk

Alternative forms

• hieroglyphick

Origin

First coined 1726, from Middle French hiéroglyphique, from Latin hieroglyphicus, from Ancient Greek ἱερογλυφικός, from ἱερογλυφέω (hieroglupheō, "to represent hieroglyphically"), from ἱερός (hieros, "sacred, holy") + γλύφω (gluphō, "to carve, to engrave, to cut out")

Noun

1. (chiefly in the plural) a writing system of ancient Egypt, Minoans, Maya and other civilizations, using pictorial symbols to represent individual sounds as a rebus
2. any symbol used in this system; a hieroglyph
3. (by extension) undecipherable handwriting or secret symbol

Full definition of hieroglyphic

Adjective

1. of, relating to, or written with this system of symbolshieroglyphic writinghieroglyphic obelisk
2. difficult to decipher