of, relating to, or denoting the wedge-shaped characters employed in the writing of several ancient languages of Mesopotamia and Persia, esp Sumerian, Babylonian, etc
3.
of or relating to a tablet in which this script is employed
4.
of or relating to any of the three tarsal bones
noun
5.
cuneiform characters or writing
6.
any one of the three tarsal bones
Word origin
C17: probably from Old French cunéiforme, from Latin cuneus wedge
cuneiform in American English
(kjuˈniəˌfɔrm; ˈkjuniəˌfɔrm)
adjective
1.
wedge-shaped
2.
designating the characters in ancient Akkadian, Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian inscriptions, or the inscriptions themselves
noun
3.
cuneiform characters or inscriptions
Word origin
< L cuneus (see cuneal) + -form
Examples of 'cuneiform' in a sentence
cuneiform
The most telling signs were an incorrect horse harness and an error in the cuneiform inscription.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Many cuneiform inscriptions from this period have been found in vast library archives of clay tablets.
Lesley Adkins EMPIRES OF THE PLAIN: Henry Rawlinson and the Lost Languages of Babylon (2003)
The first cuneiform writing is lists of food.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
There can be few more daunting artefacts to include successfully in a show than a cuneiform tablet.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
There are only a small number of scholars worldwide who can read cuneiform script.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Without wasting time, they began the work of recording the cuneiform inscriptions and sculptures.
Lesley Adkins EMPIRES OF THE PLAIN: Henry Rawlinson and the Lost Languages of Babylon (2003)
These bricks often had cuneiform inscriptions, as did the cylinder seals that were also discovered.
Lesley Adkins EMPIRES OF THE PLAIN: Henry Rawlinson and the Lost Languages of Babylon (2003)
It is significant that many of the clay tablets bearing the cuneiform script refer to measurements of quantity, weight and length.