sphinx
noun/sfɪŋks/
/sfɪŋks/
(often the Sphinx)
- an ancient Egyptian stone statue of a creature with a human head and the body of a lion lying down. In ancient Greek stories the Sphinx spoke in riddles.
- a sphinx-like enigma/smile
Word Originlate Middle English: via Latin from Greek Sphinx, apparently from sphingein ‘draw tight’.Definitions on the go
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sphinx