hieroglyph

Thân thiện

The student carefully copies an Egyptian hieroglyph onto her notebook.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A character in a system of picture writing: A single pictorial symbol, especially one used in the formal writing systems of ancient Egypt, Anatolia, or other ancient cultures. Each symbol can represent a word, a sound (syllable), or a concept.
   • Illegible or cryptic writing: Writing or symbols that are difficult to read or decipher, resembling ancient picture writing in their complexity or obscurity.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The stone tablet was covered in intricate hieroglyphs depicting gods and animals.
  • Egyptologists can now translate Egyptian hieroglyphs with great accuracy.
  • (Figurative) His handwriting is so bad it looks like hieroglyphs to me.

Advanced Usage

• "Hieroglyphic" as an adjective: Describing something that consists of or relates to hieroglyphs.
  • The tomb contained hieroglyphic inscriptions.
• Used metaphorically: To describe any system of communication that is complex, symbolic, and hard for the uninitiated to understand.
  • To a layperson, the circuit diagram was a page of electronic hieroglyphs.

Variants and Related Words

• Hieroglyphic (adj): Of or relating to hieroglyphs; written in or consisting of hieroglyphs.
  • A hieroglyphic script.
• Hieroglyphics (n, plural): Often used to refer to the entire system of writing or a collection of hieroglyphic characters.
  • The study of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Synonyms

• Pictograph: A pictorial symbol for a word or phrase. (Note: A hieroglyph is a specific type of pictograph used in certain formal writing systems.)
• Symbol: A mark or character used as a conventional representation of an object, function, or process.
• Cipher: A secret or disguised way of writing; a code. (For the figurative sense of illegible writing.)

Related Phrases

• In hieroglyphs: Written using hieroglyphic characters.
  • The pharaoh's name was inscribed in hieroglyphs.
• Decipher/translate hieroglyphs: To interpret or convert hieroglyphic writing into a modern language.

Related Idioms

• As clear as hieroglyphics: Used sarcastically to say something is completely unclear or incomprehensible.
  • His explanation of the tax code was as clear as hieroglyphics.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a writing system using picture symbols; used in ancient Egypt
2. writing that resembles hieroglyphics (usually by being illegible)

Từ đồng nghĩa

• hieroglyphic