hieroglyph, hieroglyphic
(noun) a writing system using picture symbols; used in ancient Egypt
hieroglyph, hieroglyphic
(noun) writing that resembles hieroglyphics (usually by being illegible)
Source: WordNet® 3.1
hieroglyph (plural hieroglyphs)
An element of an ideographic (hieroglyphic) writing system.
(informal) Any obscure or baffling symbol.
hieroglyph (third-person singular simple present hieroglyphs, present participle hieroglyphing, simple past and past participle hieroglyphed)
To represent by hieroglyphs.
Source: Wiktionary
Hi"er*o*glyph, Hi`er*o*glyph"ic, n. Etym: [Cf. F. hiéroglyphe. See Hieroglyphic, a.]
1. A sacred character; a character in picture writing, as of the ancient Egyptians, Mexicans, etc. Specifically, in the plural, the picture writing of the ancient Egyptian priests. It is made up of three, or, as some say, four classes of characters: first, the hieroglyphic proper, or figurative, in which the representation of the object conveys the idea of the object itself; second, the ideographic, consisting of symbols representing ideas, not sounds, as an ostrich feather is a symbol of truth; third, the phonetic, consisting of symbols employed as syllables of a word, or as letters of the alphabet, having a certain sound, as a hawk represented the vowel a.
2. Any character or figure which has, or is supposed to have, a hidden or mysterious significance; hence, any unintelligible or illegible character or mark. [Colloq.]
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
8 November 2024
(noun) the act of furnishing an equivalent person or thing in the place of another; “replacing the star will not be easy”
Decaffeinated coffee is not caffeine-free. Studies from the National Institute of Health (US) have shown that virtually all decaf coffee types contain caffeine. A 236-ml (8-oz) cup of decaf coffee contains up to 7 mg of caffeine, whereas a regular cup provided 70-140 mg.
