Sphinx

Definitions

1. An ancient, large statue in Egypt, with the face of a man and the body of a lion, lying near the Great Pyramids.
2. Alternative letter-case form of sphinx (“a sculpture representing the Theban Sphinx”)
   alt-of
3. A creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal, commonly a lion.
4. A person who keeps their thoughts and intentions secret; an enigmatic or impassive person.
   figuratively
5. One of the many offspring of Typhon and Echidna, a winged lion-like creature with a woman's face, who dwelt near the city of Thebes in Boeotia and terrorized travelers by posing riddles, killing those who failed to answer correctly; after Oedipus solved her riddle, she committed suicide out of frustration.
   Greek
6. A mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx), formerly classified as a baboon, and called sphinx baboon.
   dated
7. A sphinx moth.
8. A sphincter.
   euphemistic, rare

Equivalents

Examples

“[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⟳.’”

“In the third, which leadeth to the fonts and walkes, are two Sphinges very curiouſly carued in braſſe […]”

CEFR level