1. a picture or symbol used in ancient Egyptian writing to represent a word, sound, or idea
2. writing that is difficult to read or understand
Usage: informal

Examples

• The archaeologists discovered hieroglyphs carved into the temple wall.
• Ancient Egyptians used hieroglyphs to record important events.
• The Rosetta Stone helped scholars decode Egyptian hieroglyphs.
• Each hieroglyph could represent a sound, word, or concept.
• The doctor’s prescription looked like hieroglyphs to me.
• She couldn’t read his hieroglyphs that he called handwriting.