Obelisk

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɒbəlɪsk/

Definitions

1. A tall, slender four-sided stone monument tapering to a pyramidal point at the top
2. A stone structure characterized by its tall, narrow, four-faced shape that tapers to a pyramidal apex
3. This type of monument is often recognized for its elongated design and pointed top, serving both decorative and commemorative purposes

Etymology: The Greek word "obelískos" was a diminutive of "obelós", meaning "needle" or a pointed spit, so the monument's name began as a little spike. Egyptian builders were not thinking of needles, of course; the Greeks gave the name to the tall, tapering stone shafts they saw in Egypt, and the Romans adopted it as "obeliscus". The word reached English through Middle French "obelisque", which is why its spelling still carries that French-influenced ending. The original monuments were far from small. The obelisk now in Istanbul was erected by Pharaoh Thutmose III around 1490 BCE in Egypt, then carried off by the Roman emperor Theodosius I and set up in the Hippodrome of Constantinople in 390 CE. Its name, though, outlived its Egyptian purpose, and the Greek diminutive stuck to the whole class of tall pointed stones. The word's relative, "obelus", came from the same "obelós" and was used by ancient scholars as a short horizontal dagger-like mark to flag doubtful lines in texts, so the needle image travelled from stone monuments into the margins of manuscripts.

Synonyms: monolith, pillar