Sphinx

/sfษชล‹ks/

The meaning and definition of Sphinx, with examples, synonyms, and a word game to make it stick.

Definition

noun
  1. A creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal (commonly a lion).
  2. A person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret; an enigmatic person.
verb
  1. To adopt the posture of the Sphinx.
    โ€œA hot lion with a very bloated stomach ... will adopt either a sphinxed or a squatting posture which takes some of the weight off its belly.โ€
  2. To be inscrutable, often through silence
    โ€œ(1900) The sphinxรจd riddle of the Universe / Nature's unsolved enigma, who may prove?โ€
Synonyms enigma

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