I. ˈglif noun
( -s )
Etymology: Greek glyphē carved work, from glyphein to carve — more at cleave
1. : an ornamental vertical groove (as in a triglyph)
2. : a symbolic figure or a character usually incised or carved in relief ; specifically : the basic unit in the Maya system of writing consisting of a pictorial or conventionalized sign or of two or more such signs enclosed in a frame line having typically the form of a square with rounded corners
many of the glyphs represent, not Maya words or constructions, but universal ideas — A.A.Hill
II. noun
Etymology: short for hieroglyph
: a symbol (as a curved arrow on a road sign) that conveys information nonverbally