Illustration of cuneiform
- cuneiform 2
cu·ne·i·form
kyü-ˈnē-ə-ˌfȯrm 
ˈkyü-n(ē-)ə-
ˈkyü-n(ē-)ə-
1
: having the shape of a wedge
2
: composed of or written in wedge-shaped characters
cuneiform syllabary
1
: a cuneiform part
specifically
: a cuneiform bone or cartilage
2
: cuneiform writing
Examples of cuneiform in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2024
Kids learned cuneiform, an ancient writing system, by transcribing what the teacher wrote and then erasing what was written and starting again.
—Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 12 Nov. 2024
Unlike cuneiform, only about half of proto cuneiform symbols have been deciphered so far.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024
The stories in these pages come from cuneiform and Etruscan.
—Joe Sills, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cuneiform 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Before the invention of alphabets, early writing systems—like hieroglyphs and cuneiform—used symbols representing objects or phonetic sounds.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2024
Kids learned cuneiform, an ancient writing system, by transcribing what the teacher wrote and then erasing what was written and starting again.
—Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 12 Nov. 2024
Unlike cuneiform, only about half of proto cuneiform symbols have been deciphered so far.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024
The stories in these pages come from cuneiform and Etruscan.
—Joe Sills, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cuneiform
Dictionary Entries Near cuneiform
Cite this Entry
“Cuneiform.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cuneiform. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cuneiform
1 of 2 adjective
cu·ne·i·form
kyu̇-ˈnē-ə-ˌfȯrm
ˈkyü-n(ē-)ə-
ˈkyü-n(ē-)ə-
1
: having the shape of a wedge
2
: made up of or written with marks or letters shaped like wedges
cuneiform
2 of 2 noun
: cuneiform writing
Medical Definition
cuneiform
1 of 2 adjective
cu·ne·i·form
kyu̇-ˈnē-ə-ˌfȯrm
ˈkyü-n(ē-)ə-
ˈkyü-n(ē-)ə-
1
: of, relating to, or being a cuneiform bone or cartilage
2
of a human skull
: wedge-shaped as viewed from above
cuneiform
2 of 2 noun
: a cuneiform bone or cartilage
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share