sphinx

See also Sphinx

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

The great Sphinx of Giza

From Middle English Spynx, from Latin Sphinx, from Ancient Greek Σφίγξ (Sphínx), from Ancient Egyptian Szp-'nx (shespankh) 'divine image', literally, 'living image'.

Pronunciation

• enPR: sfĭnx, IPA: [sfɪŋks], SAMPA: [sfINks]

• Audio (US)

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Noun

sphinx (plural sphinxes or sphinges)

1. (mythology) A creature with the head of a human and the body of an animal (commonly a lion).
2. A person who keeps his thoughts and intentions secret.

Synonyms

• (person who keeps his thoughts and intentions secret): enigma

Derived terms

• sphinx moth
• sphingian

Hyponyms

• androsphinx
• criosphinx
• gynosphinx

Translations

mythology: creature with the head of a human and the body of an animal

Catalan: esfinx Chinese: 狮身人面像 (shī shēn rén miàn xiàng) Croatian: sfinga Czech: sfinx (cs), sfinga (cs) f. Danish: sfinks (da) Dutch: sphynx (nl) Estonian: sphinx (et) Finnish: sfinksi (fi) French: sphinx (fr) m. Galician: esfinxe (gl) f. Georgian: სფინქსი (ka) German: Sphinx (de) f. Greek: σφίγγα (el) Hungarian: szfinx (hu)

Italian: sfinge (it) f. Japanese: スフィンクス Korean: 스핑크스 (ko) Lithuanian: sfinksas (lt) Norwegian: sfinks (no) Polish: sfinks (pl) m. Portuguese: esfinge (pt) f. Romanian: sfinx (ro) m. Russian: сфинкс (ru) (sfinks) Slovak: sfinga (sk) f. Spanish: esfinge (es) Swedish: sfinx (sv) c. Vietnamese: nhân sư Volapük: (male or female) sfin (vo), (male) hisfin (vo), (female) jisfin (vo)

person who keeps his thoughts and intentions secret

German: Sphinx (de) f. Portuguese: esfinge (pt) f.

Swedish: gåta (sv) c., sfinx (sv) c.

See also

• chimera

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Latin

Noun

sphinx (genitive sphingis); f, third declension

1. ape, chimpanzee

Inflection

Number	Singular	Plural
nominative	sphinx	sphingēs
genitive	sphingis	sphingum
dative	sphingī	sphingibus
accusative	sphingem	sphingēs
ablative	sphinge	sphingibus
vocative	sphinx	sphingēs