obelisk means A tall, square, tapered, stone monolith topped with a pyramidal point, frequently used as a monument. It carries an Arena rating of 1570, earned across 6 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, obelisk ranks #1,121 of 17,111 for Most Sublime Words, #1,515 of 17,115 for Most Vivid Words, #1,924 of 17,120 for Most Beautiful Words, #2,628 of 17,093 for Most Storied Words.
obelisk is pronounced /ˈɒbəlɪsk/.
Why “obelisk” is a great word
A tall, four-sided, monolithic stone pillar that tapers upward and terminates in a pyramidal top, often erected as a monument. From Middle French *obelisque*, from Latin *obeliscus*, from Ancient Greek ὀβελίσκος (*obelískos*, "small spit, pointed pillar"), diminutive of ὀβελός (*obelós*, "spit, needle"). Unlike a *stela*, a wider, inscribed slab rooted in the earth, or a *pylon*, a monumental gateway of paired towers, the obelisk is a solitary, singular shaft, hewn from one immense block. It is the stark, geometric shadow cast at noon, the quarried mountain made needle to thread the sky, and the silent burn of hieroglyphs climbing toward a cap of gold—a monument not to what was, but to the enduring fact of its own pointing.
Etymology
From Middle French obelisque, from Latin obeliscus (“obelisk”), from Ancient Greek ὀβελίσκος (obelískos), diminutive of ὀβελός (obelós, “needle”). Compare obelus.
noun
- A tall, square, tapered, stone monolith topped with a pyramidal point, frequently used as a monument.
- Synonym of obelus.; A symbol resembling a horizontal line (–), sometimes together with one or two dots (for example, ⨪ or ÷), which was used in ancient manuscripts and texts to mark a word or passage as doubtful or spurious, or redundant.
- Synonym of obelus.; A dagger symbol (†), which is used in printed matter as a reference mark to refer the reader to a footnote, marginal note, etc.; beside a person's name to indicate that the person is deceased; or beside a date to indicate that it is a person's death date.
- An RNA structure similar to a viroid, with a rod-like secondary structure, which comprises its own phylogenetic group.
verb
- To adopt the obelisk posture; to point the tip of the abdomen towards the sun.e.g.“Dragonflies that spend the day in full sun may obelisk to minimize the sunlight striking the body. An obelisking dragonfly looks like it's doing a headstand[…]”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- obelisklike 73% match — Resembling an obelisk. vs obelisk →
- obeliskoid 69% match — Resembling an obelisk. vs obelisk →
- monolith 68% match — A large, single block of stone which is a natural feature; or a block of stone or other similar material used in architecture and sculpture, especially one carved into a monument in ancient times. vs obelisk →
- stele 64% match — An upright (or formerly upright) slab containing engraved or painted decorations or inscriptions; a stela. vs obelisk →
- aguilla 64% match — An obelisk or spire. vs obelisk →
- pylon 63% match — A gateway to the inner part of an Ancient Egyptian temple. vs obelisk →
- menhir 62% match — A single tall standing stone as a monument, especially one dating to prehistoric times. vs obelisk →
- pyramidion 59% match — The small pyramid which crowns or completes an obelisk or pyramid. vs obelisk →