hiéroglyphe

hieroglyph

noun yeh-roh-GLEEF Rare

Origin: Greek hieroglyphikos, 'sacred carved writing'

Usage Note

Hiéroglyphe refers to any of the pictographic characters used in ancient Egyptian writing, deciphered by Champollion using the Rosetta Stone in 1822. By extension, hiéroglyphes is used colloquially for any illegible handwriting. The plural hiéroglyphes is the common form.

Examples

"Les hiéroglyphes couvrent les murs du temple."

Natural Translation

The hieroglyphs cover the temple walls.

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