Glyph

/ɡlɪf/ noun

Definition

A carved symbol, character, or design, especially one used in ancient writing systems like Mayan or Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Etymology

From Greek 'glyphein' (to carve), the same root that gives us 'engrave.' The term became popular in the 19th century to describe carved symbols in pre-Columbian civilizations.

Kelly Says

Mayan glyphs are like linguistic puzzles carved in stone—each one can represent a sound, a whole word, or even a concept, and decoding them was one of archaeology's greatest achievements of the 1960s-90s.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.