hieroglyphic

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Noun 1.3 Adjective 1.3.1 Translations

[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

Wikipedia

hieroglyphic (plural hieroglyphics)

1. (chiefly in plural) a writing system of ancient Egypt, 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

[edit] Adjective

hieroglyphic

1. of, relating to, or written with this system of symbols
2. difficult to decipher

[edit] Translations