hiero-, hier-

A dislike of all "holy" objects: Sam was not interested in religious items in his home,and this hierofastidia was respected by his family members, who also were of the same opinion.

A sacred marriage: The hierogamy of the couple was not made public until they were marriage 6 years!

A character of a writing system of ancient Egypt; a figure of some object, as a tree, animal, etc., standing for a word (or, afterwards, in some cases, a syllable or sound), and forming an element of a species of writing: Hieroglyphs have been found on ancient Egyptian monuments and records and since then extended to such figures similarly used in the writing of other races.

A hieroglyph is also a writing consisting of characters of this kind.

Referring to something that is written in hieroglyphs: Lynn bought a hieroglyphed necklace that spelled her name with symbols at the museum shop.

Someone who writes in hieroglyphs: Many ancient Egyptians were hieroglyphers who used hieroglyphs, consisting of more than 1,000 characters, for writing the Egyptian language.

1. A writing system that uses symbols or pictures to denote objects, concepts, or sounds, originally and especially in the writing system of ancient Egypt: It took the explorers years to "crack the code" of the hieroglyphics of the ancient burial tombs in Egypt.
2. Writing that resembles ancient writing; usually by being illegible: Eve's handwriting has often been described as looking like hieroglyphics.
3. Something written in or belonging to a writing system using pictorial symbols: On the cliffs near Peterborough, Canada, are hieroglyphics and pictographs telling the history of the aboriginal people who lived in the area.
4. Etymology: from Late Latin hieroglyphicus, from Greek hieroglyphikos, from hieros, "sacred, powerful" + glyphe, glyphikos, "carving" from glyphein, "to carve".

The ancient Egyptians wrote in hieroglyphs that were not deciphered until after the discovery in 1799 of the Rosetta Stone, which bears the same inscription in three different scripts: hieratic Egyptian (formal), demotic Egyptian (cursive), and ancient Greek.

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1. Pertaining to characters or modes of writing used by the ancient Egyptians (or by transference, other peoples), consisting of figures of objects directly or figuratively representing words (picture-writing), or, in certain circumstances, syllables or letters: A hieroglyphic picture relates to a word or notion, especially one symbolizing something which it does not directly figure (like many of the Egyptian hieroglyphs), hence a figure, device, or sign, having some hidden meaning, a secret or enigmatical symbol, an emblem, or a hieroglyph.
2. Descriptive of something that contains or is inscribed with hieroglyphs: The personalized hieroglyphic writing or symbols on Carol's bracelet was absolutely lovely and could not be mixed up with the bracelets that her sister had.

1. Resembling hieroglyphic writing; hieroglyphic: Mrs. Böacl perused the hieroglyphical writing in the front hall of the museum, but it was not decipherable!
2. Relating to something written in or belonging to a writing system using pictorial symbols: Him tried to read the hieroglyphical scripts in the book at the museum, but had difficulties in decoding them!
3. Emblematic; expressive of some meaning by characters, pictures, or figures; as, hieroglyphic writing: In the cemetery, Mr. Green viewed the very old hieroglyphical obelisk covered with lots of ivy.

Regarding how something is written with pictures or symbols: In or by means of hieroglyphics or picture-writing: The love letter that Mary received was hieroglyphically written .

To write or express by using pictures, symbols, etc.: In class the students were taught how to hieroglyphize a letter to their friends, by using by using certain signs and very simple illustrations. .

Someone who studies or is a specialist in hieroglyphics: Tim's mother is a hieroglyphologist at the museum and is versed in and writes in hieroglyphics.

The study of hieroglyphic writing, or a system employing a conventionalized pictographic script: Albert wanted to take a class in hieroglyphology and understand the scriipts, which were notable used by the ancient Egyptians.

A sacred symbol or character; a hieroglyph (literally and figuratively): A hierogram is a form of sacred or hieratic writing and can be an emblem, pictograph, or the like.

A writer of hierograms with sacred symbols): A hierogrammate is like a manuschript of sacred records specifically, of hieroglyphics.

Pertaining to hierograms; expressive of sacred writing: Hierogrammatic texts consist of writings about religion.