hier ‧ o ‧ glyph ‧ ics /ˌhaɪrəˈɡlɪfɪks/ BrE AmE noun [plural, uncountable]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: French ; Origin: hiéroglyphique , from Late Latin , from Greek , from hieros ( ⇨ ↑ hierarchy ) + glyphein 'to cut marks in a surface' ]
pictures and symbols used to represent words or parts of words, especially in the ancient Egyptian writing system
—hieroglyphic adjective :
hieroglyphic script