glyph

WOTD - 20 June 2007    

Mayan glyphs

English

Etymology

Wikipedia

First attested in 1727. From French glyphe, from Ancient Greek γλυφή (gluphē, “carving”), from γλύφω (gluphō, “I carve, engrave”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɡlɪf/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪf

Noun

glyph (plural glyphs)

1. A figure carved in relief or incised, especially representing a sound, word, or idea.
2. Any non-verbal symbol that imparts information.
3. (typography, computing) A visual representation of a letter, character, or symbol, in a specific font and style.
4. (architecture) A vertical groove.

Related terms

• anaglyph
• hieroglyph
• petroglyph
• triglyph

Synonyms

• (typography) sort

Translations

carved relief representing a sound, word or idea

Finnish: glyyfi, kirjoitusmerkki, symboli French: glyphe m. (œil typographique) German: Zeichen (de) n., Symbol (de) n. Kurdish: glîf

Polish: hieroglif (pl) m. Portuguese: glifo (pt) m. Russian: глиф (ru) (glif) m. Spanish: glifo (es) m.

graphic representation of a character

Dutch: schriftteken (nl) n. Finnish: glyyfi

German: Glyphe f. Spanish: glifo (es) m.

non-verbal symbol imparting information

Finnish: symboli (fi)

vertical groove