noun Download 🔗Share A creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal (commonly a lion). Examples : "The ancient Egyptian temple was guarded by a large stone sphinx. " mythology animal figure art Chat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
noun Download 🔗Share A person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret; an enigmatic person. Examples : "My new boss is a complete sphinx; I can never tell what she's really thinking. " person character mythology literature Chat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
noun Download 🔗Share A mandrill, Mandrillus sphinx, formerly classified a baboon, and called sphinx baboon. Examples : "At the zoo, the sign identified the large, colorful primate not as a baboon, but as a sphinx, further clarifying its scientific name, Mandrillus sphinx. " animal biology Chat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
noun Download 🔗Share A sphinx moth. Examples : "The gardener spotted a beautiful sphinx moth flitting around the roses. " animal insect Chat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
noun Download 🔗Share A sphincter. Examples : "The doctor examined the patient's anal sphincter to check for any problems. " anatomy organ body physiology Chat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
verb Download 🔗Share To decorate with sphinxes Examples : "a marble sphinxed chimney-piece" architecture art Chat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
verb Download 🔗Share To adopt the posture of the Sphinx. Examples : "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." appearance body Chat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
verb Download 🔗Share To be inscrutable, often through silence Examples : "The teacher sphinxed about the upcoming test, giving no hints at all. " character mind philosophy literature communication Chat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
verb Download 🔗Share To make one guess at the unknowable Examples : "(1933) 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 ..." mythology literature philosophy Chat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
verb Download 🔗Share To befuddle Examples : "The math problem sphinxed me completely; I couldn't even understand where to begin. " mind language communication Chat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
verb Download 🔗Share For the feminine to co-opt, dominate, or devour the masculine, especially from a paranoid fear of this happening Examples : "The boss seemed to sphinx her colleagues, subtly undermining their ideas and taking credit for their work, fueled by a fear of being seen as less capable. " mind philosophy sex family character emotion Chat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading