hieroglyphic
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
First coined 1726, from Middle French hiéroglyphique < Latin hieroglyphicus < Ancient Greek ἱερογλυφικός (hierogluphikos) < ἱερογλυφέω (hieroglupheō), “‘to represent hieroglyphically’”) < ἱερός (hieros), “‘sacred, holy’”) + γλύφω (gluphō), “‘to carve, to engrave, to cut out’”)
[edit] Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
hieroglyphic (plural hieroglyphics)
- (chiefly in plural) a writing system of ancient Egypt, Maya and other civilizations, using pictorial symbols to represent individual sounds as a rebus
- any symbol used in this system; a hieroglyph
- (by extension) undecipherable handwriting or secret symbol
[edit] Adjective
hieroglyphic
- of, relating to, or written with this system of symbols
- difficult to decipher
[edit] Translations
of, relating to, or written with this system of symbols
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difficult to decipher
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