Definition of HIEROGLYPHIC

hieroglyphic

Plural: hieroglyphics

Noun

  • writing that resembles hieroglyphics (usually by being illegible)
  • a writing system using picture symbols; used in ancient Egypt
  • A writing system of ancient Egypt, Minoans, Maya and other civilizations, using pictorial symbols to represent individual sounds as a rebus
  • Any symbol used in this system; a hieroglyph.
  • Undecipherable handwriting or secret symbol.

Adjective

  • resembling hieroglyphic writing
  • written in or belonging to a writing system using pictorial symbols

Adj

  • of, relating to, or written with this system of symbols
  • difficult to decipher

Origin / Etymology

First coined 1726, from French hiéroglyphique, from Latin hieroglyphicus, from Ancient Greek ἱερογλυφικός (hierogluphikós), from ἱερογλυφέω (hierogluphéō, “to represent hieroglyphically”), from ἱερός (hierós, “sacred, holy”) + γλύφω (glúphō, “to carve, to engrave, to cut out”). By surface analysis, hiero- + glyphic.

Scrabble Score: 26

hieroglyphic: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
hieroglyphic: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
hieroglyphic: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 27

hieroglyphic: valid Words With Friends Word