sphinx
/ˈsfɪŋks/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.00 in modern English
18
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
1
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx), formerly classified as a baboon, and called sphinx baboon.
Dated
noun
A sphinx moth.
noun
A sphincter.
Example Sentences
- "[W]hatsoe'er of strange / Sculptured on alabaster obelisk, / Or jasper tomb, or mutilated sphynx, / Dark Æthiopia in her desert hills. / Conceals."
- "...it is clear that judges are no longer required to be as passive as they once were; to be what I call sphinx judges. We now not only accept that a judge may intervene in the adversarial debate, but also believe that it is sometimes essential for him to do so for justice in fact to be done."
- "Constance said boastfully, ‘My sphinxes are strong and in good repair. I order you to come.’"
- "a marble sphinxed chimney-piece"
- "A 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."
- "Several animals maintained either a crouched … or a sphinxing posture (abdomen on the floor)"
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: Spynx, Sphinx, Σφίγξ, šzp-ꜥnḫ
Usage
Inflected Forms
sphinxes (plural)
sphinges (plural)
sphynx (alternative, dated)
spynx (alternative, obsolete)
phynx (alternative, obsolete)
sphinxes (present, singular)
sphinxing (participle, present)
sphinxed (participle, past)
sphinxed (past)
the Sphinx (canonical)
Derived Forms
sphinxial
sphinxian
sphinxily
sphinxine
sphinxineness
sphinxiness
sphinxish
sphinxishness
sphinxity
sphinxlike
sphinxoid
sphinxy
Phrases
Achemon sphinx
Nessus sphinx
satellite sphinx
sphinx-faced
sphinx-figure
sphinx-form
sphinx-guarded
sphinx-lined
Frequently Paired Words
Synonyms
enigma
the Great Sphinx
the Great Sphinx of Giza
the Theban Sphinx
the Thebean Sphinx
the Sphinx of Thebes