What does hieroglyph mean?
A hieroglyph is a pictorial or symbolic sign, most commonly one of the characters used in ancient Egyptian writing. Hieroglyphs could represent objects, people, actions, sounds, ideas, and grammatical relationships through carefully arranged images and signs. Because the system could represent both meaning and sound, a sequence of hieroglyphs might convey much more than a simple picture would suggest. In modern figurative use, the word describes a conventional symbol that stands for a person, organization, status, or concept, often one that is concise, distinctive, or deliberately mysterious. The term is frequently encountered in discussions of archaeology, art, religion, and language, especially in connection with inscriptions and the interpretation of ancient texts. It is also used in descriptions of logos, ceremonial designs, and other visual marks whose meaning depends on learned recognition. While a single hieroglyph is one written character, the plural “hieroglyphs” is commonly used for ancient Egyptian writing as a whole.
nounA pictorial or symbolic sign used in ancient Egyptian writing. By extension, it can refer to a conventional mark that conveys a particular meaning or identity.
- A pictorial or symbolic sign used in ancient Egyptian writing.
- A stylized or cryptic symbol that communicates an identity, instruction, or hidden meaning.
"The inscription contained a single hieroglyph that had never before been identified."
"She carefully copied the row of hieroglyphs onto a sheet of tracing paper."
"The stylized initials had become a hieroglyph recognized throughout the organization."
The plural is also commonly used collectively for the symbols or writing system of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic inscriptions.
"Scholars spent years studying the hieroglyphs preserved in the temple."
What looks like a picture can carry a precise meaning: ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs record names, actions, numbers, and sounds without ordinary alphabetic letters.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hieroglyph come from?
The word comes through French from Greek hieroglyphos, a compound of hieros, meaning “sacred,” and glyphein, meaning “to carve.” The underlying idea is therefore a “sacred carving,” reflecting the religious and ceremonial contexts in which hieroglyphic inscriptions were used. English borrowed the term in the early 16th century, and related English words such as hierarchy, hieratic, and hierophant preserve the same Greek element associated with sacred authority or religious function.
Related word forms
How hieroglyph is actually used
In its traditional sense, the word usually refers to a sign from ancient Egyptian writing. Its figurative use for a stylized emblem or cryptic mark is established but less common in formal writing.
Easily confused with hieroglyph
A hieroglyph is an individual written sign, whereas hieroglyphic is an adjective describing the writing system, its characters, or its style.