obelisk
12
7.7
- noun
- /ˈoʊbəlɪsk/
:
obelisco
- Red flags snap in the wind around the granite obelisk, a monument to the People's Heroes.
- Egyptian obelisk
- ancient obelisk
- erect the obelisk
The ones who built the obelisks just failed harder than most.
- The ones who built the obelisks just failed harder than most.
- And then even the the unfinished obelisk at Aswan that has those scoop marks going down the sides of it.
Examples
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One of the most popular obelisks in the United States is the Washington Monument.
Academic text (2008) -
The urge to adorn modern cities with ancient obelisks continued into the nineteenth century.
Academic text (2002) -
To make way for highway improvements, in 2001 the obelisk was moved to another location in the city.
Academic text (2003) -
A handsome 25-foot-high stone obelisk surmounts his grave in Rockland Cemetery in Nyack, New York.
Academic text (2002) -
Hieroglyphic inscriptions on the obelisks praise him and promise he will "exercise enduring kingship throughout eternity."
Academic text (2002) -
The ancient Egyptians constructed an elegant obelisk that still stands in the city square today.
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Visitors often stop to admire the tall obelisk that commemorates the city's founding.
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At the park, an impressive obelisk towers over the surrounding landscape, serving as a historical landmark.
Synonyms
160
3.4
A large structure that honours a famous person or important event
52
2.6
A tall upright support for a building or a standing stone used as a monument
9
7.5
A large single upright block of stone that forms a pillar or monument
1
9.9
A tall stone with writing that honors a person or event from long ago
A pointed stone pillar that marks a place
Compounds
How Tall
Surface Forms
Etymology
Obelisk comes from the Greek root obelos 'spit' or 'pointed stick', so imagine a long cooking spit or skewer. That's why an obelisk is a tall, four-sided stone that narrows to a point — like a giant pointed stick used as a monument.