sphinx

Fetched 2026-10-26 (cache).

Synonyms: sphynx

Antonyms: sphynx

Related words from Datamuse; suggestions, not definitions.

Noun

1. {{lb|en|mythology}} A [[creature]] with the [[head]] of a person and the [[body]] of an [[animal]], commonly a [[lion]].
2. {{lb|en|figurative}} A [[person]] who keeps their [[thought]]s and [[intention]]s [[secret]]; an [[enigmatic]] or [[impassive]] [[person]].
3. {{lb|en|dated}} A [[mandrill]] ({{taxfmt|Mandrillus sphinx|species}}), formerly classified as a [[baboon]], and called {{vern|sphinx baboon}}.
4. A [[sphinx moth]].
5. {{lb|en|euphemism|rare}} A [[sphincter]].

Verb

1. {{lb|en|transitive}} To [[decorate]] with sphinxes. {{attention|en|move to adjective [[sphinxed]]}}
2. {{lb|en|transitive|intransitive}} To [[adopt]] the [[posture]] of the Sphinx.
3. {{lb|en|transitive|intransitive}} To be [[inscrutable]], often through [[silence]].
4. {{lb|en|intransitive}} To [[behave]] in a manner [[characteristic]] of the Sphinx.

Proper noun

1. {{sid|en|Q130958}} An ancient, large [[statue]] in [[Egypt]], with the face of a [[man]] and the body of a [[lion]], lying near the [[Great Pyramid]]s.
2. {{sid|en|Q9335858}} {{lb|en|Greek mythology}} 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 [[riddle]]s, killing those who failed to answer correctly; after [[Oedipus]] solved her riddle, she committed suicide out of frustration.

Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wiktionary dump) · cached copy, not a rewrite.