[hi.ero.glyph.ic] also hi.ero.glyph.i.cal adj [MF hieroglyphique, fr. LL hieroglyphicus, fr. Gk hieroglyphikos, fr. hieros + glyphein to carve--more at cleave] (1585) 1: written in, constituting, or belonging to a system of writing mainly in pictorial characters
2: inscribed with hieroglyphic
3: resembling hieroglyphic in difficulty of decipherment -- hi.ero.glyph.i.cal.ly adv
[2]hieroglyphic n (1586) 1: hieroglyph
2: a system of hieroglyphic writing; specif: the picture script of the ancient Egyptian priesthood--often used in pl. but sing. or pl. in constr.
3: something that resembles a hieroglyph esp. in difficulty of decipherment