a picture or symbol of an object, representing a word, syllable or sound, especially as used in ancient Egyptian and other writing systems 象形文字,象形符号(尤指古埃及等所用的文字) The meanings of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs were unknown until the 19th century. 古埃及象形文字的含义直到19世纪才为人所知。
Word Originlate 16th cent.: back-formation from hieroglyphic, from French hiéroglyphique, from Greek hierogluphikos, from hieros ‘sacred’ + gluphē ‘carving’.