Meaning & use

hieroglyphics

noun·Academic

A system of writing that uses pictures or symbols to represent words, sounds, or ideas.

See it in a sentence

Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics were carved onto temple walls and tomb chambers.

Scholars used the Rosetta Stone to finally decode Egyptian hieroglyphics.

A note on using this word

Hieroglyphics is most associated with ancient Egypt, though the term can loosely describe any picture-based writing system.

Words with a similar meaning

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