obelisk

noun

obe·​lisk ˈä-bə-ˌlisk 

also ˈō-

1

: an upright 4-sided usually monolithic pillar that gradually tapers as it rises and terminates in a pyramid

2

a

: obelus

b

: dagger sense 2b

Illustration of obelisk

• obelisk 1

Examples of obelisk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The jail, a beige 12-story obelisk, overlooks all of downtown Las Vegas – a Bosch-in-the-sunbelt panorama. — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026

Across town, a stone obelisk—similar to Washington’s but, again, taller—was constructed with 25,550 blocks of white granite, one for each day of Kim’s seven decades of life. — Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026

Argentina’s fans danced and sang in their seats long after the match ended, in Atlanta; in Buenos Aires, thousands converged in celebration by the capital’s iconic obelisk. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 16 July 2026

Provide vines with a sturdy trellis, obelisk, or arbor to climb. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 12 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin obeliscus "four-sided pillar," borrowed from Greek obelískos "skewer, four-sided pillar," diminutive of obelós "spit, four-sided pillar" — more at obelus

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for obelisk

• basilisk
• bisque
• brisk
• disc
• disk
• fisc
• fisk
• frisk
• risk
• whisk
• videodisc

Kids Definition

obelisk

noun

obe·​lisk ˈäb-ə-ˌlisk 

: a four-sided pillar that becomes narrower toward the top and ends in a pyramid