obelisk

From Middle French obelisque, from Latin obeliscus (“obelisk”), from Ancient Greek ὀβελίσκος (obelískos), diminutive of ὀβελός (obelós, “needle”). Compare obelus.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɒbəlɪsk/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɔbəlɪsk/, /ˈɑbəlɪsk/

obelisk (plural obelisks)

1. (architecture) A tall, square, tapered, stone monolith topped with a pyramidal point, frequently used as a monument. [from mid 16th c.]
   • 2012 January, Henry Petroski, “The Washington Monument”, in American Scientist‎^[1], volume 100, number 1, page 16:

     The Washington Monument is often described as an obelisk, and sometimes even as a "true obelisk," even though it is not. A true obelisk is a monolith, a pylon formed out of a single piece of stone.

2. (typography) Synonym of obelus.
   1. (historical) A symbol resembling a horizontal line (–), sometimes together with one or two dots (for example, ⨪ or ÷), which was used in ancient manuscripts and texts to mark a word or passage as doubtful or spurious, or redundant.
   2. A dagger symbol (†), which is used in printed matter as a reference mark to refer the reader to a footnote, marginal note, etc.; beside a person's name to indicate that the person is deceased; or beside a date to indicate that it is a person's death date.
3. (virology) An RNA structure similar to a viroid, with a rod-like secondary structure, which comprises its own phylogenetic group.

Regarding sense 2, obelus was used in Middle English, but thereafter was displaced by obelisk until the 19th century when both words began to be used with equal regularity.^[1]

• obelisc

• (architecture): aguilla, pylon, stela

• (architecture): needle

• (architecture): pyramidion

• oblin
• obeliscal
• obeliscoid, obeliskoid
• obelisklike

• menhir
• pillar

obelisk (third-person singular simple present obelisks, present participle obelisking, simple past and past participle obelisked)

1. (entomology, of a dragonfly) To adopt the obelisk posture; to point the tip of the abdomen towards the sun.
   • 2004, Cynthia Berger, Dragonflies‎^[2]:

     Dragonflies that spend the day in full sun may obelisk to minimize the sunlight striking the body. An obelisking dragonfly looks like it's doing a headstand […]

• obelisk on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• obelisk (biology) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• obelisk posture on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• obelisk (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Borrowed from French obélisque.

• IPA^(key): /ɔˈbɛ.lisk/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛlisk
• Syllabification: o‧be‧lisk

obelisk m inan (related adjective obeliskowy)

1. obelisk (tall, square, tapered, stone monolith topped with a pyramidal point, frequently used as a monument)

• obelisk in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• obelisk in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• obelisk in PWN's encyclopedia

• IPA^(key): /obělisk/
• Hyphenation: o‧be‧lisk

obèlisk m inan (Cyrillic spelling обѐлиск)

1. obelisk

• IPA^(key): /obɛlɪsk/
• Rhymes: -ɪsk

obelisk c

1. an obelisk

• obelisk in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• obelisk in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• obelisk in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)