Meanings
plural benben stones
- A sacred stone found in solar temples in ancient Egypt.
Out of the benben stone, on its substructure representing the primeval hill, developed the religious symbol which we know as the obelisk.
1991, H W F Saggs, Civilization Before Greece and Rome1 more example
According to beliefs, the pyramidion on its apex represents the benben stone, an ancient object that was thought to receive the first rays of the rising sun.
2001, Martin Isler, Sticks, Stones, and Shadows: Building the Egyptian Pyramids
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Egyptianbnbn“Benben, the first mound or stone to arise from the primordial waters at the creation of the world”
- Englishbenben stone
From Egyptian bnbn (“Benben, the first mound or stone to arise from the primordial waters at the creation of the world”)—compare bnbnt (“pyramidion”)—and stone.
More words from Egyptian
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
benben stone. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/benben%20stone
“benben stone.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/benben%20stone. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “benben stone,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/benben%20stone.
Source: benben stone on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.