sphinx

noun \ ˈsfiŋ(k)s \

|Updated on: 1 Jun 2018

Definition of sphinx

plural sphinxes or sphinges play \ˈsfin-ˌjēz\

1 a capitalized : a winged female monster in Greek mythology having a woman's head and a lion's body and noted for killing anyone unable to answer its riddle

b : an enigmatic or mysterious person

she is a sphinx whose features hold a blank fascination

2 : an ancient Egyptian image in the form of a recumbent lion having a man's head, a ram's head, or a hawk's head

—

sphinxlike

play \ˈsfiŋ(k)s-ˌlīk\ adjective

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Examples of sphinx in a Sentence

a statue of the Sphinx

Recent Examples of sphinx from the Web

This is likely a caterpillar known as the tersa sphinx, the immature stage of a rather attractive brown moth common in Florida, feeding on pentas, milkweeds and other landscape plants.

— tom maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Poor root system hinders plant growth," 19 May 2018
Meadows, meanwhile, insisted in an interview on Monday that his efforts are serious and argued that Rosenstein is his target in this back-and-forth — not that investigative sphinx, Mueller.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Rod Rosenstein may just be the most powerful person in Washington," 1 May 2018
Over 100 million years in the making, sculpting by heavy winds, pouring rain and erosion have given the sandstone monoliths a sphinx-like effect.

— nick kontis, USA TODAY, "Photo tour: Australia’s iconic Uluru (aka Ayers Rock)," 16 Apr. 2018
Teams of divers uncovered stone sphinxes, pharaonic statuary and figures of gods and rulers, including the three immense and imposing statues that here welcome visitors into the museum’s vast entrance hall.

— edward rothstein, WSJ, "‘Sunken Cities: Egypt’s Lost Worlds’ Review: Treasures Beneath the Waves," 27 Mar. 2018
The sculpture is forty tons of sugar molded into a ghostly white apparition, part mammy, part sphinx.

— Longreads, "Kara Walker’s Subtlety," 28 Feb. 2018
Flashing a sphinx-like smile and without ever speaking in public, Ms. Kim managed to outflank Mr. Trump’s envoy to the Olympics, Vice President Mike Pence, in the game of diplomatic image-making.

— motoko rich and choe sang-hun, New York Times, "Kim Jong-un’s Sister Turns On the Charm, Taking Pence’s Spotlight," 11 Feb. 2018
But with a sphinx-like mannerism and pen change for the provocative, only time will tell.

— christian allaire, Vogue, "Karl Lagerfeld Just Switched Up His Signature Look in Paris," 21 Jan. 2018
Others are scattered apparently randomly: an Athena here, a horse or a satyr there, among bulls’ heads, griffins, sphinxes, garden urns or busts of 5th-century B.C. Athenian philosopher Socrates and the 19th-century Greek poet Dionysios Solomos.

— Washington Post, "Greek terracotta workshop produces an army of gods," 23 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sphinx.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of sphinx

Latin, from Greek Sphinx, Sphix

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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SPHINX Defined for English Language Learners

sphinx

noun

Definition of sphinx for English Language Learners

in ancient Greek and Egyptian stories : a creature with the body of a lion and the head of a person; also : something (such as a statue) in the shape of a sphinx

SPHINX Defined for Kids

sphinx

noun \ ˈsfiŋks \

Definition of sphinx for Students

: a mythical figure of ancient Egypt having the body of a lion and the head of a man, a ram, or a hawk

Learn More about sphinx

Spanish Central: Translation of sphinx Nglish: Translation of sphinx for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sphinx

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sphinx

Definition of sphinx

sphinxlike

Examples of sphinx in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of sphinx

SPHINX Defined for English Language Learners

sphinx

Definition of sphinx for English Language Learners

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sphinx

Definition of sphinx for Students

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