"sphinx" meaning in English

See sphinx in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈsfɪŋks/ Audio: en-us-sphinx.ogg [US] Forms: sphinxes [plural], sphinges [plural]
enPR: sfĭngks Rhymes: -ɪŋks Etymology: From Middle English Spynx, from Latin Sphinx, from Ancient Greek Σφίγξ (Sphínx), perhaps either from σφίγγω (sphíngō, “to squeeze, to strangle”) (whence also sphincter), of Pre-Greek origin, or from Egyptian Szp:p-A53-anx-n:x (šzp-ꜥnḫ, “divine image”, literally “living image”). Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|Spynx}} Middle English Spynx, {{der|en|la|Sphinx}} Latin Sphinx, {{der|en|grc|Σφίγξ}} Ancient Greek Σφίγξ (Sphínx), {{m|grc|σφίγγω||to squeeze, to strangle}} σφίγγω (sphíngō, “to squeeze, to strangle”), {{m|en|sphincter}} sphincter, {{der|en|qsb-grc}} Pre-Greek, {{m|egy|šzp-ꜥnḫ}} šzp-ꜥnḫ, {{der|en|egy|šzp-ꜥnḫ|<hiero>Szp:p-A53-anx-n:x</hiero>|divine image|lit=living image|tr=<i class="Latn mention" lang="egy">šzp-ꜥnḫ</i>}} Egyptian Szp:p-A53-anx-n:x (šzp-ꜥnḫ, “divine image”, literally “living image”) Head templates: {{en-noun|+|sphinges}} sphinx (plural sphinxes or sphinges)
  1. (mythology) A creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal (commonly a lion). Categories (topical): Mythology, Mythological creatures Categories (lifeform): Old World monkeys Translations (mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal): Σφίγξ (Sphínx) [feminine] (Ancient Greek), ⁧أَبُو الهَوْل⁩ (ʔabū l-hawl) [masculine] (Arabic), esfinxe [feminine] (Asturian), esfinge (Basque), сфинкс (sfinks) [masculine] (Bulgarian), esfinx [masculine] (Catalan), 斯芬克斯 (sīfēnkèsī) (Chinese Mandarin), 人頭獅身 (Chinese Mandarin), 人头狮身 (réntóushīshēn) (Chinese Mandarin), 獅頭人像 (Chinese Mandarin), 狮头人像 (shītóurénxiàng) (Chinese Mandarin), sfinx (Czech), sfinga [feminine] (Czech), sfinks (Danish), sfinx (Dutch), sfinkso (Esperanto), sphinx (Estonian), sfinksur [masculine] (Faroese), sfinksi (Finnish), sphinx [masculine] (French), esfinxe [feminine] (Galician), სფინქსი (spinksi) (Georgian), Sphinx [feminine] (German), σφίγγα (sfínga) (Greek), szfinx (Hungarian), sfinxo (Ido), sfinks (Indonesian), sfinge [feminine] (Italian), スフィンクス (sufinkusu) (Japanese), 人獅 (jinshi) (Japanese), 人頭獅身 (jintō shimi) (Japanese), 獅子女 (shishime) (Japanese), 스핑크스 (seupingkeuseu) (Korean), sfinksas (Lithuanian), sfinks (Malay), स्फिंक्स (sphiṅksa) [masculine] (Marathi), sfinks (Norwegian), sfinks [masculine] (Polish), esfinge [feminine] (Portuguese), sfinx [masculine] (Romanian), сфинкс (sfinks) [masculine] (Russian), сфинга [feminine] (Serbo-Croatian), sfinga [feminine] (Serbo-Croatian), sfinga [feminine] (Slovak), esfinge [feminine] (Spanish), sfinx [common-gender] (Swedish), espinghe (Tagalog), สฟิงซ์ (sà-fíng) (Thai), sfenks (Turkish), nhân sư (Vietnamese), sfin [feminine, masculine] (Volapük), hisfin [masculine] (Volapük), jisfin [feminine] (Volapük)
    Sense id: en-sphinx-en-noun-FQcOLsJb Disambiguation of Mythological creatures: 39 3 3 4 3 4 19 9 16 Disambiguation of Old World monkeys: 16 6 19 9 3 7 17 7 16 Topics: human-sciences, mysticism, mythology, philosophy, sciences Disambiguation of 'mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal': 71 28 0 1 0
  2. A person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret; an enigmatic or impassive person. Categories (topical): People Synonyms (person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret): enigma Translations (person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret): esfinx [masculine] (Catalan), sfinksi (Finnish), Sphinx [feminine] (German), sfinks [masculine] (Polish), esfinge [feminine] (Portuguese), sfinx [masculine] (Romanian), gåta [common-gender] (Swedish), sfinx [common-gender] (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-sphinx-en-noun-ju30h6yx Disambiguation of People: 18 32 6 3 0 0 22 1 18 Disambiguation of 'person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret': 15 83 1 1 0 Disambiguation of 'person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret': 15 83 1 1 0
  3. (dated) A mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx), formerly classified as a baboon, and called sphinx baboon. Tags: dated Categories (topical): Egyptian mythology Categories (lifeform): Old World monkeys
    Sense id: en-sphinx-en-noun-HPibrIkl Disambiguation of Egyptian mythology: 7 2 10 25 13 1 22 3 18 Disambiguation of Old World monkeys: 16 6 19 9 3 7 17 7 16
  4. A sphinx moth. Categories (topical): Ancient Egypt, Egyptian mythology Categories (lifeform): Sphinx moths
    Sense id: en-sphinx-en-noun-H4VgDWnq Disambiguation of Ancient Egypt: 3 1 12 28 14 1 21 3 18 Disambiguation of Egyptian mythology: 7 2 10 25 13 1 22 3 18 Disambiguation of Sphinx moths: 7 2 2 44 1 3 21 3 18
  5. (rare) A sphincter. Tags: rare Categories (topical): Egyptian mythology
    Sense id: en-sphinx-en-noun-0ZG-1kgZ Disambiguation of Egyptian mythology: 7 2 10 25 13 1 22 3 18
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Hyponyms: androsphinx, criosphinx, gynosphinx, hieracosphinx Derived forms: Achemon sphinx, Nessus sphinx, satellite sphinx, sphingian, sphinxlike, sphinx moth, Tantalus sphinx Related terms: chimera

Verb

IPA: /ˈsfɪŋks/ Audio: en-us-sphinx.ogg [US] Forms: sphinxes [present, singular, third-person], sphinxing [participle, present], sphinxed [participle, past], sphinxed [past]
enPR: sfĭngks Rhymes: -ɪŋks Etymology: From Middle English Spynx, from Latin Sphinx, from Ancient Greek Σφίγξ (Sphínx), perhaps either from σφίγγω (sphíngō, “to squeeze, to strangle”) (whence also sphincter), of Pre-Greek origin, or from Egyptian Szp:p-A53-anx-n:x (šzp-ꜥnḫ, “divine image”, literally “living image”). Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|Spynx}} Middle English Spynx, {{der|en|la|Sphinx}} Latin Sphinx, {{der|en|grc|Σφίγξ}} Ancient Greek Σφίγξ (Sphínx), {{m|grc|σφίγγω||to squeeze, to strangle}} σφίγγω (sphíngō, “to squeeze, to strangle”), {{m|en|sphincter}} sphincter, {{der|en|qsb-grc}} Pre-Greek, {{m|egy|šzp-ꜥnḫ}} šzp-ꜥnḫ, {{der|en|egy|šzp-ꜥnḫ|<hiero>Szp:p-A53-anx-n:x</hiero>|divine image|lit=living image|tr=<i class="Latn mention" lang="egy">šzp-ꜥnḫ</i>}} Egyptian Szp:p-A53-anx-n:x (šzp-ꜥnḫ, “divine image”, literally “living image”) Head templates: {{en-verb}} sphinx (third-person singular simple present sphinxes, present participle sphinxing, simple past and past participle sphinxed)
  1. To decorate with sphinxes.
    Sense id: en-sphinx-en-verb-fNezvnTn
  2. To adopt the posture of the Sphinx. Categories (topical): Egyptian mythology Categories (lifeform): Old World monkeys
    Sense id: en-sphinx-en-verb-xnPYEM1P Disambiguation of Egyptian mythology: 7 2 10 25 13 1 22 3 18 Disambiguation of Old World monkeys: 16 6 19 9 3 7 17 7 16
  3. To be inscrutable, often through silence.
    Sense id: en-sphinx-en-verb-lNQdzHXI
  4. To behave in a manner characteristic of the Sphinx. Categories (topical): Egyptian mythology Categories (lifeform): Old World monkeys
    Sense id: en-sphinx-en-verb-ydFnxU01 Disambiguation of Egyptian mythology: 7 2 10 25 13 1 22 3 18 Disambiguation of Old World monkeys: 16 6 19 9 3 7 17 7 16

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for sphinx meaning in English (25.3kB)

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "Achemon sphinx"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "Nessus sphinx"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "satellite sphinx"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "sphingian"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "sphinxlike"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "sphinx moth"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "Tantalus sphinx"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "Spynx"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English Spynx",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "Sphinx"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin Sphinx",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "Σφίγξ"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek Σφίγξ (Sphínx)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "grc",
        "2": "σφίγγω",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to squeeze, to strangle"
      },
      "expansion": "σφίγγω (sphíngō, “to squeeze, to strangle”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sphincter"
      },
      "expansion": "sphincter",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "qsb-grc"
      },
      "expansion": "Pre-Greek",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "egy",
        "2": "šzp-ꜥnḫ"
      },
      "expansion": "šzp-ꜥnḫ",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "egy",
        "3": "šzp-ꜥnḫ",
        "4": "<hiero>Szp:p-A53-anx-n:x</hiero>",
        "5": "divine image",
        "lit": "living image",
        "tr": "<i class=\"Latn mention\" lang=\"egy\">šzp-ꜥnḫ</i>"
      },
      "expansion": "Egyptian Szp:p-A53-anx-n:x (šzp-ꜥnḫ, “divine image”, literally “living image”)",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English Spynx, from Latin Sphinx, from Ancient Greek Σφίγξ (Sphínx), perhaps either from σφίγγω (sphíngō, “to squeeze, to strangle”) (whence also sphincter), of Pre-Greek origin, or from Egyptian Szp:p-A53-anx-n:x (šzp-ꜥnḫ, “divine image”, literally “living image”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "sphinxes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sphinges",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "+",
        "2": "sphinges"
      },
      "expansion": "sphinx (plural sphinxes or sphinges)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "hyponyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "androsphinx"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "criosphinx"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "gynosphinx"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "hieracosphinx"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "chimera"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Mythology",
          "orig": "en:Mythology",
          "parents": [
            "Culture",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "39 3 3 4 3 4 19 9 16",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Mythological creatures",
          "orig": "en:Mythological creatures",
          "parents": [
            "Fantasy",
            "Mythology",
            "Fiction",
            "Speculative fiction",
            "Culture",
            "Artistic works",
            "Genres",
            "Society",
            "Art",
            "Entertainment",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 6 19 9 3 7 17 7 16",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Old World monkeys",
          "orig": "en:Old World monkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Monkeys",
            "Primates",
            "Mammals",
            "Vertebrates",
            "Chordates",
            "Animals",
            "Lifeforms",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal (commonly a lion)."
      ],
      "id": "en-sphinx-en-noun-FQcOLsJb",
      "links": [
        [
          "mythology",
          "mythology"
        ],
        [
          "creature",
          "creature"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(mythology) A creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal (commonly a lion)."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "human-sciences",
        "mysticism",
        "mythology",
        "philosophy",
        "sciences"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "roman": "ʔabū l-hawl",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "⁧أَبُو الهَوْل⁩"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "ast",
          "lang": "Asturian",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "esfinxe"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "eu",
          "lang": "Basque",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "esfinge"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "sfinks",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "сфинкс"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "esfinx"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "sīfēnkèsī",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "斯芬克斯"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "人頭獅身"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "réntóushīshēn",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "人头狮身"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "獅頭人像"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "shītóurénxiàng",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "狮头人像"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "sfinx"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "sfinga"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "sfinks"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "sfinx"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "sfinkso"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "et",
          "lang": "Estonian",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "sphinx"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "fo",
          "lang": "Faroese",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "sfinksur"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "sfinksi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "sphinx"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "esfinxe"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "spinksi",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "სფინქსი"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Sphinx"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "sfínga",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "σφίγγα"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "grc",
          "lang": "Ancient Greek",
          "roman": "Sphínx",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Σφίγξ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "szfinx"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "io",
          "lang": "Ido",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "sfinxo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "id",
          "lang": "Indonesian",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "sfinks"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "sfinge"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "sufinkusu",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "スフィンクス"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "jinshi",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "人獅"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "jintō shimi",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "人頭獅身"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "shishime",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "獅子女"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "seupingkeuseu",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "스핑크스"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "lt",
          "lang": "Lithuanian",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "sfinksas"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "ms",
          "lang": "Malay",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "sfinks"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "mr",
          "lang": "Marathi",
          "roman": "sphiṅksa",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "स्फिंक्स"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "sfinks"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "sfinks"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "esfinge"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "sfinx"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "sfinks",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "сфинкс"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "сфинга"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "sfinga"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "sk",
          "lang": "Slovak",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "sfinga"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "esfinge"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "sfinx"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "tl",
          "lang": "Tagalog",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "espinghe"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "th",
          "lang": "Thai",
          "roman": "sà-fíng",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "สฟิงซ์"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "sfenks"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "word": "nhân sư"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "vo",
          "lang": "Volapük",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "feminine",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "sfin"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "vo",
          "lang": "Volapük",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "hisfin"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "71 28 0 1 0",
          "code": "vo",
          "lang": "Volapük",
          "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "jisfin"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "18 32 6 3 0 0 22 1 18",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "21 February 1985, Antonio Lamer, “Brouillard Also Known As Chatel v. The Queen, 1985 CanLII 56 (SCC)”, in CanLII, retrieved 2021-10-22",
          "text": "...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.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret; an enigmatic or impassive person."
      ],
      "id": "en-sphinx-en-noun-ju30h6yx",
      "links": [
        [
          "thought",
          "thought"
        ],
        [
          "secret",
          "secret"
        ],
        [
          "enigmatic",
          "enigmatic"
        ],
        [
          "impassive",
          "impassive"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "15 83 1 1 0",
          "sense": "person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret",
          "word": "enigma"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "15 83 1 1 0",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "esfinx"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "15 83 1 1 0",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret",
          "word": "sfinksi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "15 83 1 1 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Sphinx"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "15 83 1 1 0",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "sfinks"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "15 83 1 1 0",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "esfinge"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "15 83 1 1 0",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "sfinx"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "15 83 1 1 0",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "gåta"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "15 83 1 1 0",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "sfinx"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "7 2 10 25 13 1 22 3 18",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Egyptian mythology",
          "orig": "en:Egyptian mythology",
          "parents": [
            "Ancient Egypt",
            "Mythology",
            "Ancient Africa",
            "Ancient Near East",
            "History of Egypt",
            "Culture",
            "Ancient history",
            "History of Africa",
            "Ancient Asia",
            "Egypt",
            "History of Asia",
            "Society",
            "History",
            "Africa",
            "Asia",
            "All topics",
            "Earth",
            "Eurasia",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 6 19 9 3 7 17 7 16",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Old World monkeys",
          "orig": "en:Old World monkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Monkeys",
            "Primates",
            "Mammals",
            "Vertebrates",
            "Chordates",
            "Animals",
            "Lifeforms",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx), formerly classified as a baboon, and called sphinx baboon."
      ],
      "id": "en-sphinx-en-noun-HPibrIkl",
      "links": [
        [
          "mandrill",
          "mandrill"
        ],
        [
          "Mandrillus sphinx",
          "Mandrillus sphinx"
        ],
        [
          "baboon",
          "baboon"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(dated) A mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx), formerly classified as a baboon, and called sphinx baboon."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "3 1 12 28 14 1 21 3 18",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Ancient Egypt",
          "orig": "en:Ancient Egypt",
          "parents": [
            "Ancient Africa",
            "Ancient Near East",
            "History of Egypt",
            "Ancient history",
            "History of Africa",
            "Ancient Asia",
            "Egypt",
            "History of Asia",
            "History",
            "Africa",
            "Asia",
            "All topics",
            "Earth",
            "Eurasia",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 2 10 25 13 1 22 3 18",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Egyptian mythology",
          "orig": "en:Egyptian mythology",
          "parents": [
            "Ancient Egypt",
            "Mythology",
            "Ancient Africa",
            "Ancient Near East",
            "History of Egypt",
            "Culture",
            "Ancient history",
            "History of Africa",
            "Ancient Asia",
            "Egypt",
            "History of Asia",
            "Society",
            "History",
            "Africa",
            "Asia",
            "All topics",
            "Earth",
            "Eurasia",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 2 2 44 1 3 21 3 18",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Sphinx moths",
          "orig": "en:Sphinx moths",
          "parents": [
            "Moths",
            "Insects",
            "Arthropods",
            "Animals",
            "Lifeforms",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A sphinx moth."
      ],
      "id": "en-sphinx-en-noun-H4VgDWnq",
      "links": [
        [
          "sphinx moth",
          "sphinx moth"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "7 2 10 25 13 1 22 3 18",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Egyptian mythology",
          "orig": "en:Egyptian mythology",
          "parents": [
            "Ancient Egypt",
            "Mythology",
            "Ancient Africa",
            "Ancient Near East",
            "History of Egypt",
            "Culture",
            "Ancient history",
            "History of Africa",
            "Ancient Asia",
            "Egypt",
            "History of Asia",
            "Society",
            "History",
            "Africa",
            "Asia",
            "All topics",
            "Earth",
            "Eurasia",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance (Avignon Quintet), Faber & Faber, published 2004, page 836",
          "text": "Constance said boastfully, ‘My sphinxes are strong and in good repair. I order you to come.’",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A sphincter."
      ],
      "id": "en-sphinx-en-noun-0ZG-1kgZ",
      "links": [
        [
          "sphincter",
          "sphincter"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) A sphincter."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈsfɪŋks/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪŋks"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-sphinx.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/10/En-us-sphinx.ogg/En-us-sphinx.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/En-us-sphinx.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    },
    {
      "enpr": "sfĭngks"
    }
  ],
  "word": "sphinx"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "Spynx"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English Spynx",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "Sphinx"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin Sphinx",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "Σφίγξ"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek Σφίγξ (Sphínx)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "grc",
        "2": "σφίγγω",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to squeeze, to strangle"
      },
      "expansion": "σφίγγω (sphíngō, “to squeeze, to strangle”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sphincter"
      },
      "expansion": "sphincter",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "qsb-grc"
      },
      "expansion": "Pre-Greek",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "egy",
        "2": "šzp-ꜥnḫ"
      },
      "expansion": "šzp-ꜥnḫ",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "egy",
        "3": "šzp-ꜥnḫ",
        "4": "<hiero>Szp:p-A53-anx-n:x</hiero>",
        "5": "divine image",
        "lit": "living image",
        "tr": "<i class=\"Latn mention\" lang=\"egy\">šzp-ꜥnḫ</i>"
      },
      "expansion": "Egyptian Szp:p-A53-anx-n:x (šzp-ꜥnḫ, “divine image”, literally “living image”)",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English Spynx, from Latin Sphinx, from Ancient Greek Σφίγξ (Sphínx), perhaps either from σφίγγω (sphíngō, “to squeeze, to strangle”) (whence also sphincter), of Pre-Greek origin, or from Egyptian Szp:p-A53-anx-n:x (šzp-ꜥnḫ, “divine image”, literally “living image”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "sphinxes",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sphinxing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sphinxed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sphinxed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "sphinx (third-person singular simple present sphinxes, present participle sphinxing, simple past and past participle sphinxed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "a marble sphinxed chimney-piece",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To decorate with sphinxes."
      ],
      "id": "en-sphinx-en-verb-fNezvnTn"
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "7 2 10 25 13 1 22 3 18",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Egyptian mythology",
          "orig": "en:Egyptian mythology",
          "parents": [
            "Ancient Egypt",
            "Mythology",
            "Ancient Africa",
            "Ancient Near East",
            "History of Egypt",
            "Culture",
            "Ancient history",
            "History of Africa",
            "Ancient Asia",
            "Egypt",
            "History of Asia",
            "Society",
            "History",
            "Africa",
            "Asia",
            "All topics",
            "Earth",
            "Eurasia",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 6 19 9 3 7 17 7 16",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Old World monkeys",
          "orig": "en:Old World monkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Monkeys",
            "Primates",
            "Mammals",
            "Vertebrates",
            "Chordates",
            "Animals",
            "Lifeforms",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "Several animals maintained either a crouched … or a sphinxing posture (abdomen on the floor)",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To adopt the posture of the Sphinx."
      ],
      "id": "en-sphinx-en-verb-xnPYEM1P"
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1900, Leigh Gordon Giltner, “Love and Death”, in The Path of Dreams: Poems, page 27",
          "text": "The sphinxèd riddle of the Universe,\nNature's unsolved enigma, who may prove?",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1933 February, Gladys Hall, “The Hollywood Frivolities of 1932”, in Motion Picture, volume 45, page 29",
          "text": "Then there are the folks trying to do a Garbo on us[…]Janet Gaynor, so they tell, is sphinxing it and has gone into a Retirement, with \"Nothing to Say — Please Go Away\" written on the doormat.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1964, John Hargrave, The Suvla Bay Landing, page 22",
          "text": "What with Fisher whole-hogging on one side, and K. of K. sphinxing on the other, Churchill had his work cut out to get any sort of agreement at all.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To be inscrutable, often through silence."
      ],
      "id": "en-sphinx-en-verb-lNQdzHXI",
      "links": [
        [
          "inscrutable",
          "inscrutable"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "7 2 10 25 13 1 22 3 18",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Egyptian mythology",
          "orig": "en:Egyptian mythology",
          "parents": [
            "Ancient Egypt",
            "Mythology",
            "Ancient Africa",
            "Ancient Near East",
            "History of Egypt",
            "Culture",
            "Ancient history",
            "History of Africa",
            "Ancient Asia",
            "Egypt",
            "History of Asia",
            "Society",
            "History",
            "Africa",
            "Asia",
            "All topics",
            "Earth",
            "Eurasia",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 6 19 9 3 7 17 7 16",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Old World monkeys",
          "orig": "en:Old World monkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Monkeys",
            "Primates",
            "Mammals",
            "Vertebrates",
            "Chordates",
            "Animals",
            "Lifeforms",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1933, Roycroft Junto Outlines, The Roycrofters, page 412",
          "text": "Perhaps Nature is sphinxing us on purpose. Whatever her objects may be, perhaps she gets her work done better when she appeals to our gambling instincts. If you knew for certain exactly how your marriage was going to turn out[…]",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1986, Andreas Huyssen, After the Great Divide: Modernism, Mass Culture, Postmodernism, page 53",
          "text": "And then he summarizes his fears with a reference to that icon which[…]stood for the feminine threat to civilization: “Crowds are somewhat like the sphinx of ancient fable: it is necessary to arrive at a solution of the problems offered by their psychology or to resign ourselves to being devoured by them.” Male fears of an engulfing femininity are here projected onto the metropolitan masses, who did indeed represent a threat to the rational bourgeois order.[…]We may want to relate Le Bon's social psychology of the masses back to modernism's own fears of being sphinxed.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To behave in a manner characteristic of the Sphinx."
      ],
      "id": "en-sphinx-en-verb-ydFnxU01"
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈsfɪŋks/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪŋks"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-sphinx.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/10/En-us-sphinx.ogg/En-us-sphinx.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/En-us-sphinx.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    },
    {
      "enpr": "sfĭngks"
    }
  ],
  "word": "sphinx"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "en:Ancient Egypt",
    "en:Egyptian mythology",
    "en:Mythological creatures",
    "en:Old World monkeys",
    "en:People",
    "en:Sphinx moths"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "Achemon sphinx"
    },
    {
      "word": "Nessus sphinx"
    },
    {
      "word": "satellite sphinx"
    },
    {
      "word": "sphingian"
    },
    {
      "word": "sphinxlike"
    },
    {
      "word": "sphinx moth"
    },
    {
      "word": "Tantalus sphinx"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "Spynx"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English Spynx",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "Sphinx"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin Sphinx",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "Σφίγξ"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek Σφίγξ (Sphínx)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "grc",
        "2": "σφίγγω",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to squeeze, to strangle"
      },
      "expansion": "σφίγγω (sphíngō, “to squeeze, to strangle”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sphincter"
      },
      "expansion": "sphincter",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "qsb-grc"
      },
      "expansion": "Pre-Greek",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "egy",
        "2": "šzp-ꜥnḫ"
      },
      "expansion": "šzp-ꜥnḫ",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "egy",
        "3": "šzp-ꜥnḫ",
        "4": "<hiero>Szp:p-A53-anx-n:x</hiero>",
        "5": "divine image",
        "lit": "living image",
        "tr": "<i class=\"Latn mention\" lang=\"egy\">šzp-ꜥnḫ</i>"
      },
      "expansion": "Egyptian Szp:p-A53-anx-n:x (šzp-ꜥnḫ, “divine image”, literally “living image”)",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English Spynx, from Latin Sphinx, from Ancient Greek Σφίγξ (Sphínx), perhaps either from σφίγγω (sphíngō, “to squeeze, to strangle”) (whence also sphincter), of Pre-Greek origin, or from Egyptian Szp:p-A53-anx-n:x (šzp-ꜥnḫ, “divine image”, literally “living image”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "sphinxes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sphinges",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "+",
        "2": "sphinges"
      },
      "expansion": "sphinx (plural sphinxes or sphinges)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "hyponyms": [
    {
      "word": "androsphinx"
    },
    {
      "word": "criosphinx"
    },
    {
      "word": "gynosphinx"
    },
    {
      "word": "hieracosphinx"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "chimera"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Mythology"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal (commonly a lion)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "mythology",
          "mythology"
        ],
        [
          "creature",
          "creature"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(mythology) A creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal (commonly a lion)."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "human-sciences",
        "mysticism",
        "mythology",
        "philosophy",
        "sciences"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "21 February 1985, Antonio Lamer, “Brouillard Also Known As Chatel v. The Queen, 1985 CanLII 56 (SCC)”, in CanLII, retrieved 2021-10-22",
          "text": "...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.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret; an enigmatic or impassive person."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "thought",
          "thought"
        ],
        [
          "secret",
          "secret"
        ],
        [
          "enigmatic",
          "enigmatic"
        ],
        [
          "impassive",
          "impassive"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English dated terms",
        "Entries missing English vernacular names of taxa"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx), formerly classified as a baboon, and called sphinx baboon."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "mandrill",
          "mandrill"
        ],
        [
          "Mandrillus sphinx",
          "Mandrillus sphinx"
        ],
        [
          "baboon",
          "baboon"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(dated) A mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx), formerly classified as a baboon, and called sphinx baboon."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A sphinx moth."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sphinx moth",
          "sphinx moth"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance (Avignon Quintet), Faber & Faber, published 2004, page 836",
          "text": "Constance said boastfully, ‘My sphinxes are strong and in good repair. I order you to come.’",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A sphincter."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sphincter",
          "sphincter"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) A sphincter."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈsfɪŋks/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪŋks"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-sphinx.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/10/En-us-sphinx.ogg/En-us-sphinx.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/En-us-sphinx.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    },
    {
      "enpr": "sfĭngks"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret",
      "word": "enigma"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "ʔabū l-hawl",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "⁧أَبُو الهَوْل⁩"
    },
    {
      "code": "ast",
      "lang": "Asturian",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "esfinxe"
    },
    {
      "code": "eu",
      "lang": "Basque",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "esfinge"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "sfinks",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "сфинкс"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "esfinx"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "sīfēnkèsī",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "斯芬克斯"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "人頭獅身"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "réntóushīshēn",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "人头狮身"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "獅頭人像"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "shītóurénxiàng",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "狮头人像"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "sfinx"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "sfinga"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "sfinks"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "sfinx"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "sfinkso"
    },
    {
      "code": "et",
      "lang": "Estonian",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "sphinx"
    },
    {
      "code": "fo",
      "lang": "Faroese",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "sfinksur"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "sfinksi"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "sphinx"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "esfinxe"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "spinksi",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "სფინქსი"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Sphinx"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "sfínga",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "σφίγγα"
    },
    {
      "code": "grc",
      "lang": "Ancient Greek",
      "roman": "Sphínx",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Σφίγξ"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "szfinx"
    },
    {
      "code": "io",
      "lang": "Ido",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "sfinxo"
    },
    {
      "code": "id",
      "lang": "Indonesian",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "sfinks"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "sfinge"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "sufinkusu",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "スフィンクス"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "jinshi",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "人獅"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "jintō shimi",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "人頭獅身"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "shishime",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "獅子女"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "seupingkeuseu",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "스핑크스"
    },
    {
      "code": "lt",
      "lang": "Lithuanian",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "sfinksas"
    },
    {
      "code": "ms",
      "lang": "Malay",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "sfinks"
    },
    {
      "code": "mr",
      "lang": "Marathi",
      "roman": "sphiṅksa",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "स्फिंक्स"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "sfinks"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "sfinks"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "esfinge"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "sfinx"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "sfinks",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "сфинкс"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "сфинга"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "sfinga"
    },
    {
      "code": "sk",
      "lang": "Slovak",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "sfinga"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "esfinge"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "sfinx"
    },
    {
      "code": "tl",
      "lang": "Tagalog",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "espinghe"
    },
    {
      "code": "th",
      "lang": "Thai",
      "roman": "sà-fíng",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "สฟิงซ์"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "sfenks"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "word": "nhân sư"
    },
    {
      "code": "vo",
      "lang": "Volapük",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "feminine",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "sfin"
    },
    {
      "code": "vo",
      "lang": "Volapük",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "hisfin"
    },
    {
      "code": "vo",
      "lang": "Volapük",
      "sense": "mythology: creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "jisfin"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "esfinx"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret",
      "word": "sfinksi"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Sphinx"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "sfinks"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "esfinge"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "sfinx"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "gåta"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "sfinx"
    }
  ],
  "word": "sphinx"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "en:Ancient Egypt",
    "en:Egyptian mythology",
    "en:Mythological creatures",
    "en:Old World monkeys",
    "en:People",
    "en:Sphinx moths"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "Spynx"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English Spynx",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "Sphinx"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin Sphinx",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "Σφίγξ"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek Σφίγξ (Sphínx)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "grc",
        "2": "σφίγγω",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to squeeze, to strangle"
      },
      "expansion": "σφίγγω (sphíngō, “to squeeze, to strangle”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sphincter"
      },
      "expansion": "sphincter",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "qsb-grc"
      },
      "expansion": "Pre-Greek",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "egy",
        "2": "šzp-ꜥnḫ"
      },
      "expansion": "šzp-ꜥnḫ",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "egy",
        "3": "šzp-ꜥnḫ",
        "4": "<hiero>Szp:p-A53-anx-n:x</hiero>",
        "5": "divine image",
        "lit": "living image",
        "tr": "<i class=\"Latn mention\" lang=\"egy\">šzp-ꜥnḫ</i>"
      },
      "expansion": "Egyptian Szp:p-A53-anx-n:x (šzp-ꜥnḫ, “divine image”, literally “living image”)",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English Spynx, from Latin Sphinx, from Ancient Greek Σφίγξ (Sphínx), perhaps either from σφίγγω (sphíngō, “to squeeze, to strangle”) (whence also sphincter), of Pre-Greek origin, or from Egyptian Szp:p-A53-anx-n:x (šzp-ꜥnḫ, “divine image”, literally “living image”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "sphinxes",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sphinxing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sphinxed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sphinxed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "sphinx (third-person singular simple present sphinxes, present participle sphinxing, simple past and past participle sphinxed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "a marble sphinxed chimney-piece",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To decorate with sphinxes."
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "Several animals maintained either a crouched … or a sphinxing posture (abdomen on the floor)",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To adopt the posture of the Sphinx."
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1900, Leigh Gordon Giltner, “Love and Death”, in The Path of Dreams: Poems, page 27",
          "text": "The sphinxèd riddle of the Universe,\nNature's unsolved enigma, who may prove?",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1933 February, Gladys Hall, “The Hollywood Frivolities of 1932”, in Motion Picture, volume 45, page 29",
          "text": "Then there are the folks trying to do a Garbo on us[…]Janet Gaynor, so they tell, is sphinxing it and has gone into a Retirement, with \"Nothing to Say — Please Go Away\" written on the doormat.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1964, John Hargrave, The Suvla Bay Landing, page 22",
          "text": "What with Fisher whole-hogging on one side, and K. of K. sphinxing on the other, Churchill had his work cut out to get any sort of agreement at all.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To be inscrutable, often through silence."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "inscrutable",
          "inscrutable"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1933, Roycroft Junto Outlines, The Roycrofters, page 412",
          "text": "Perhaps Nature is sphinxing us on purpose. Whatever her objects may be, perhaps she gets her work done better when she appeals to our gambling instincts. If you knew for certain exactly how your marriage was going to turn out[…]",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1986, Andreas Huyssen, After the Great Divide: Modernism, Mass Culture, Postmodernism, page 53",
          "text": "And then he summarizes his fears with a reference to that icon which[…]stood for the feminine threat to civilization: “Crowds are somewhat like the sphinx of ancient fable: it is necessary to arrive at a solution of the problems offered by their psychology or to resign ourselves to being devoured by them.” Male fears of an engulfing femininity are here projected onto the metropolitan masses, who did indeed represent a threat to the rational bourgeois order.[…]We may want to relate Le Bon's social psychology of the masses back to modernism's own fears of being sphinxed.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To behave in a manner characteristic of the Sphinx."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈsfɪŋks/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪŋks"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-sphinx.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/10/En-us-sphinx.ogg/En-us-sphinx.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/En-us-sphinx.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    },
    {
      "enpr": "sfĭngks"
    }
  ],
  "word": "sphinx"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-03-12 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-03-01 using wiktextract (68773ab and 5f6ddbb). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.