Hieroglyphic

hī-ėr-o-glif′ik, also Hī′eroglyph , n. the sacred characters of the ancient Egyptian language: picture-writing, or writing in which figures of objects are employed instead of conventional signs, like the alphabet—hieroglyphics are either phonetic or ideographic , the former comprising signs which represent sounds, the latter those which represent ideas: any symbolical or enigmatical figure.— v.t. Hī′eroglyph , to represent by hieroglyphs.— adjs. Hieroglyph′ic , -al .— adv. Hieroglyph′ically .— n. Hierog′lyphist , one skilled in hieroglyphics. [Gr. hieroglyph ikon — hieros , sacred, glyphein , to carve.]