ankh
/ɑ(ː)ŋk/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 2.37 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A cross shaped like a T with a loop at the top, the Egyptian hieroglyph representing the Egyptian triliteral ꜥnḫ (“life”) and often used as an amulet or charm for this concept.
noun
A tau cross.
Example Sentences
- "On temple wall paintings, the ankh is often seen being carried by gods who hold it up to the nose of the pharaoh. This gesture symbolizes the offering of the "breath of life" or eternity. Sometimes the pharaoh is also depicted with a stream of water in the form of ankhs being poured over him during a purification ritual."
- "The ankh combines the male and female sexual symbols: a female oval surmounting a male cross. It was also called the Key of the Nile, and was said to represent the sacred marriage between the God and Goddess which took place each year at the source of the Nile before the river flooded. Egyptians regarded the ankh as a universal life charm."
- "Now, the ankh that Thoth always held hovered in the air between Sekhmet and the Magus, and both fixed their gaze upon it."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: ꜥnḫ
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ɑ(ː)ŋk/
- British English: /æŋk/
Inflected Forms
Frequently Paired Words
☥
𓋹