sphinx (redirected from sphinxes)

sphinx  (sfngks)

n. pl. sphinx·es or sphin·ges (sfnjz)

1. Mythology A figure in Egyptian myth having the body of a lion and the head of a man, ram, or hawk.

2. often Sphinx Greek Mythology A winged creature having the head of a woman and the body of a lion, noted for killing those who could not answer its riddle.

3. A puzzling or mysterious person.

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[Middle English Spynx, from Latin Sphinx, from Greek.]

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sphinx [sfɪŋks]

n pl sphinxes, sphinges [ˈsfɪndʒiːz]

1. (Social Science / Archaeology) any of a number of huge stone statues built by the ancient Egyptians, having the body of a lion and the head of a man

2. an inscrutable person

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Sphinx [sfɪŋks]

n

the

1. (Myth & Legend / Classical Myth & Legend) Greek myth a monster with a woman's head and a lion's body. She lay outside Thebes, asking travellers a riddle and killing them when they failed to answer it. Oedipus answered the riddle and the Sphinx then killed herself

2. (Social Science / Archaeology) the huge statue of a sphinx near the pyramids at El Gîza in Egypt, of which the head is a carved portrait of the fourth-dynasty Pharaoh, Chephrēn

[via Latin from Greek, apparently from sphingein to hold fast]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	sphinx - an inscrutable person who keeps his thoughts and intentions secret individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do"
	2.	Sphinx - (Greek mythology) a riddling winged monster with a woman's head and breast on a lion's body; daughter of Typhon Greek mythology - the mythology of the ancient Greeks mythical creature, mythical monster - a monster renowned in folklore and myth
	3.	sphinx - one of a number of large stone statues with the body of a lion and the head of a man that were built by the ancient Egyptians statue - a sculpture representing a human or animal

Translations

sphinx [sfɪŋks] N (sphinxes (pl)) → esfinge f

sphinx [ˈsfɪŋks] n → sphinx m

sphinx

n → Sphinx f

sphinx [sfɪŋks] n (also) (fig) → sfinge f

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sphinx [sfɪŋks] n (also) (fig) → sfinge f