Transcription
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
-
- [sfingks]
- /sfɪŋks/
- /sfɪŋks/
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [sfingks]
- /sfɪŋks/
Definitions of sphinx word
- noun plural sphinx a figure of an imaginary creature having the head of a man or an animal and the body of a lion. (usually initial capital letter) the colossal recumbent stone figure of this kind near the pyramids of Giza. 1
- noun plural sphinx (initial capital letter) Classical Mythology. a monster, usually represented as having the head and breast of a woman, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle. Seated on a rock outside of Thebes, she proposed a riddle to travelers, killing them when they answered incorrectly, as all did before Oedipus. When he answered her riddle correctly the Sphinx killed herself. 1
- noun plural sphinx any similar monster. 1
- noun plural sphinx a mysterious, inscrutable person or thing, especially one given to enigmatic questions or answers. 1
- noun sphinx ancient Egyptian statue 1
- countable noun sphinx The Sphinx is a large ancient statue of a creature with a human head and a lion's body that stands near the pyramids in Egypt. In mythology, sphinxes gave people puzzles to solve, and so a person who is mysterious or puzzling is sometimes referred to as a sphinx. 0
Information block about the term
Origin of sphinx
First appearance:
before 1375 One of the 22% oldest English words
1375-1425; late Middle English < Latin < Greek sphínx, equivalent to sphing-, base of sphíngein to hold tight (cf. sphincter) + -s nominative singular ending
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Sphinx
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
sphinx popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 82% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
sphinx usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for sphinx
noun sphinx
- abstruseness — hard to understand; recondite; esoteric: abstruse theories.
- brainteaser — an intellectually challenging puzzle, problem, game, etc.
- closed book — something deemed unknown or incapable of being understood
- gordian knot — pertaining to Gordius, ancient king of Phrygia, who tied a knot (the Gordian knot) that, according to prophecy, was to be undone only by the person who was to rule Asia, and that was cut, rather than untied, by Alexander the Great.
- grabber — a person or thing that grabs.
Antonyms for sphinx
noun sphinx
- known — past participle of know1 .
Top questions with sphinx
- what is a sphinx?
- who built the sphinx?
- how long did it take to build the sphinx?
- how old is the sphinx?
- when was the sphinx built?
- how do you spell sphinx?
- what is the sphinx?
- how tall is the sphinx?
- where is the sphinx located?
- what happened to the sphinx nose?
- why was the sphinx built?
- where is the sphinx?
- what is the riddle of the sphinx?
- what is sphinx?
- what does sphinx mean?
See also
Matching words
- Words starting with s
- Words starting with sp
- Words starting with sph
- Words starting with sphi
- Words starting with sphin
- Words starting with sphinx