Definition of obelisk
1
:an upright 4-sided usually monolithic pillar that gradually tapers as it rises and terminates in a pyramid
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Recent Examples of obelisk from the Web
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Throughout my childhood, those equestrian statues of victory, obelisks, and granite figures of soldiers were as immovable and immutable as the hills and the lakes.
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In Birmingham, Ala., Democratic Mayor William Bell last week directed city officials to put up a black plywood barrier that blocked the base of a Confederate obelisk that has stood in a city park since 1905.
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This 17th-century German Jesuit father, friend of the pope, Borromini, and Galileo, amassed an extraordinary collection of worldly souvenirs brought back to Italy by Jesuit missionaries: a stuffed armadillo, magic lanterns, Egyptian obelisks.
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It was marked by a 4-foot granite obelisk engraved with the abbreviations for Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, and the date 1883.
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It was marked by a 4-foot granite obelisk engraved with the abbreviations for Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, and the date 1883.
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Woodland Cemetery features a 22-foot-tall obelisk dedicated to the unit and paid for by its members.
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It was marked by a 4-foot granite obelisk engraved with the abbreviations for Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, and the date 1883.
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Defenders of the statue maintain that the new law indeed prevents installation of the obelisk.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'obelisk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Illustration of obelisk
Origin and Etymology of obelisk
Middle French obelisque, from Latin obeliscus, from Greek obeliskos, from diminutive of obelos
OBELISK Defined for English Language Learners
obelisk
play
noun
Definition of obelisk for English Language Learners
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: a tall, four-sided stone column that becomes narrower toward the top and that ends in a point
OBELISK Defined for Kids
obelisk
play
noun
obe·lisk
\
ˈä-bə-ˌlisk
,
ˈō-
\
Definition of obelisk for Students
:a four-sided pillar that becomes narrower toward the top and ends in a pyramid
Learn More about obelisk
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See words that rhyme with obelisk Spanish Central: Translation of obelisk Nglish: Translation of obelisk for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about obelisk
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