hieroglyph means an element (individual sign or glyph) of a hieroglyphic writing system. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 82 out of 100.
hieroglyph is pronounced /ˈhaɪ.ɹəˌɡlɪf/.
Why “hieroglyph” is a great word
HIEROGLYPH — [Noun] A character in a hieroglyphic writing system, especially that of ancient Egypt, or any similarly cryptic and inscrutable symbol. From Ancient Greek ἱερός (hierós, "sacred, holy") + γλυφή (gluphḗ, "carved work"), a calque of Egyptian mdw-nṯr ("the god's word"). First attested around 1598 as a back-formation from 'hieroglyphic'. Unlike a "pictogram," which directly depicts an object, or a "glyph," which is any inscribed mark, a hieroglyph is a vessel of encoded mystery, often bearing phonetic, syllabic, and ideographic meaning simultaneously. It is the ibis carved in cold stone, the scarab pressed into sun-warmed clay, and the eye of Horus painted on a tomb wall—a silent, enduring testament that the most profound truths demand to be puzzled over, not merely read.
Etymology
First attested around 1598, a back-formation from hieroglyphic (1580s), from Middle French hiéroglyphique, from Late Latin hieroglyphicus, from Ancient Greek ἱερογλυφικός (hierogluphikós) (Plutarch τά ἱερογλυφικά [γράμματα] "hieroglyphic [writing]), ἱερόγλυφος (hierógluphos, “carver of hieroglyphs”) (Ptolemy), a compound of ἱερός (hierós, “sacred, holy”) and γλυφή (gluphḗ, “carved work”), a calque of Egyptian mdw-nṯr (“the god’s word”), nTr-md. By surface analysis, hiero- + glyph.
noun
- An element (individual sign or glyph) of a hieroglyphic writing system.“Hieroglyphs were discovered on the wall inside the temple.”
- An element (individual sign or glyph) of a hieroglyphic writing system.; In particular, an Egyptian hieroglyph.
- Any obscure or baffling symbol.“With your handwriting, it's no surprise the Prof can't read your hieroglyphs!”
verb
- To represent by hieroglyphs.