Meanings
adjectivecuneiform (not comparable)
alternative cuniform
- not comparableHaving the form of a wedge; wedge-shaped, especially with a tapered end.
The cuneiform leaf is not the characteristic heart-shaped early form (O. and P., p. 241).
1952, Aileen Fox, Roman Exeter (Isca Dumnoniorum): Excavations in the War-damaged Areas, 1945-1947, page 692 more examples
About midway across the larger log a cuneiform notch or cut about six inches deep was made.
1889, John Napoleon Brinton Hewitt, “New Fire Among the Iroquois”, in American Anthropologist, volume 2, page 319The cuneiform tendon is always sharply defined when the hock is flexed by the action of the muscle.
1936, W. Frank Calderon, Animal Painting and Anatomy, page 297 - not comparableWritten in the cuneiform writing system.
There, too, it was originally the vulgar script in contrast with the official cuneiform script employed for all official documents, compacts, etc.
1911, Alvin Sylvester Zerbe, The Antiquity of Hebrew Writing and Literature, page 1821 more example
The text is inscribed on a clay tablet of a very unusual format. The only other known mathematical cuneiform text on a clay tablet of a similar format is also the only previously known Kassite (and therefore post-Old-Babylonian) mathematical cuneiform text.
2000, Jöran Friberg, A Remarkable Collection of Babylonian Mathematical Texts, page ix
nouncuneiform (plural cuneiforms)
plural cuneiforms · alternative cuniform
- An ancient Mesopotamian writing system, adapted within several language families, originating as pictograms in Sumer around the 30th century BCE, evolving into more abstract and characteristic wedge shapes formed by a blunt reed stylus on clayen tablets.
Synonyms: wedge-writing
- anatomyA wedge-shaped bone, especially a cuneiform bone.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn ancient Mesopotamian writing system, adapted within several language families, originating as pictograms in Sumer around the 30th century BCE, evolving into more abstract and characteristic wedge shapes formed by a blunt reed stylus on clayen tablets.
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More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveshaped like a wedge
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Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Afrikaans wigvormig, spykerskrif
- wigvormighaving the form of a wedge
- spykerskrifwritten in the cuneiform writing system
- wigskrifwritten in the cuneiform writing system
- spykerskrifancient writing system
- wigskrifancient writing system
Arabic مِسْمَارِيَّة
- مِسْمَارِيَّة (mismāriyya)ancient writing system
Bengali কিউনিফর্ম
- কিউনিফর্ম (kiuniphormo)ancient writing system
Bulgarian клинови́ден, клинописен
- клинови́ден (klinovíden)having the form of a wedge
- клинописен (klinopisen)written in the cuneiform writing system
- клинопи́с (klinopís)ancient writing system
Catalan cuneïforme, cuneïforme
- cuneïformehaving the form of a wedge
- cuneïformewritten in the cuneiform writing system
- cuneïformeancient writing system
- cuneïformewedge-shaped bone
Chinese Cantonese 楔形文字, 釘頭文字 /钉头文字
- 楔形文字 (sit³ jing⁴ man⁴ zi⁶)ancient writing system
- 釘頭文字 /钉头文字 (ding¹ tau⁴ man⁴ zi⁶, deng¹ tau⁴ man⁴ zi⁶)ancient writing system
- 箭頭文字 /箭头文字 (zin³ tau⁴ man⁴ zi⁶)ancient writing system
- 楔形字 (sit³ jing⁴ zi⁶)ancient writing system
- 釘頭字 /钉头字 (ding¹ tau⁴ zi⁶, deng¹ tau⁴ zi⁶)ancient writing system
- 箭頭字 /箭头字 (zin³ tau⁴ zi⁶)ancient writing system
Chinese Mandarin 楔形文字, 楔形文字
- 楔形文字 (xiēxíng wénzì)having the form of a wedge
- 楔形文字 (xiēxíng wénzì)ancient writing system
- 釘頭文字 /钉头文字 (dīngtóu wénzì)ancient writing system
- 箭頭文字 /箭头文字 (jiàntóu wénzì)ancient writing system
- 楔形字 (xiēxíngzì)ancient writing system
- 釘頭字 /钉头字 (dīngtóuzì)ancient writing system
- 箭頭字 /箭头字 (jiàntóuzì)ancient writing system
Czech klínové písmo
- klínové písmoancient writing system
Danish kileskrift
- kileskriftancient writing system
Dutch wigvormig, spijkerschrift
- wigvormighaving the form of a wedge
- spijkerschriftwritten in the cuneiform writing system
- wigschriftwritten in the cuneiform writing system
- spijkerschriftancient writing system
- wigschriftancient writing system
Esperanto kojnoskribo
- kojnoskriboancient writing system
Finnish kiilanmuotoinen, nuolenpääkirjoituksella kirjoitettu
- kiilanmuotoinenhaving the form of a wedge
- nuolenpääkirjoituksella kirjoitettuwritten in the cuneiform writing system
- nuolenpääkirjoitusancient writing system
- kiilamainen luuwedge-shaped bone
- vaajaluuwedge-shaped bone
French cunéiforme, cunéiforme
- cunéiformehaving the form of a wedge
- cunéiformewritten in the cuneiform writing system
- cunéiformeancient writing system
- os cunéiformewedge-shaped bone
German keilförmig, keilschriftlich
- keilförmighaving the form of a wedge
- keilschriftlichwritten in the cuneiform writing system
- Keilschriftancient writing system
Greek σφηνοειδής, σφηνοειδής
- σφηνοειδής (sfinoeidís)having the form of a wedge
- σφηνοειδής (sfinoeidís)written in the cuneiform writing system
- σφηνοειδής γραφή (sfinoeidís grafí)ancient writing system
- σφηνοειδής (sfinoeidís)wedge-shaped bone
Hebrew כְּתַב יְתֵדוֹת
- כְּתַב יְתֵדוֹת (ktav yetedót)ancient writing system
Hindi अंकन, क्यूनिफार्म
- अंकन (aṅkan)ancient writing system
- क्यूनिफार्म (kyūniphārm)ancient writing system
- कोलाक्षर (kolākṣar)ancient writing system
- कीलाक्षर (kīlākṣar)ancient writing system
Hungarian ék alakú, ékírásos
- ék alakúhaving the form of a wedge
- ékírásoswritten in the cuneiform writing system
- ékírásancient writing system
Icelandic fleyglaga, fleygrúnir
- fleyglagahaving the form of a wedge
- fleygrúnirancient writing system
- fleygleturancient writing system
Indonesian berbentuk baji, beraksara paku
- berbentuk bajihaving the form of a wedge
- beraksara pakuwritten in the cuneiform writing system
- aksara pakuancient writing system
- kuneiformwedge-shaped bone
Irish dingchruthach
- dingchruthachhaving the form of a wedge
Italian cuneiforme
- cuneiformewritten in the cuneiform writing system
Japanese 楔形文字
- 楔形文字 (kusabigata moji)ancient writing system
Korean 쐐기문자, 설형문자
- 쐐기문자 (sswaegimunja)ancient writing system
- 설형문자 (seolhyeongmunja)ancient writing system
Latvian ķīļraksts
- ķīļrakstsancient writing system
Lithuanian danti̇̀raštis
- danti̇̀raštisancient writing system
Persian میخی, میخی
- میخی (mixi)written in the cuneiform writing system
- میخی (mixi)ancient writing system
- خط میخی (xat-e mixi)ancient writing system
Polish klinowy, klinowaty
- klinowyhaving the form of a wedge
- klinowatyhaving the form of a wedge
- klinowywritten in the cuneiform writing system
- pismo klinoweancient writing system
- kość klinowatawedge-shaped bone
Portuguese cuneiforme, cuneiforme
- cuneiformeancient writing system
- cuneiformewedge-shaped bone
Romanian cuneiform
- cuneiformwritten in the cuneiform writing system
Russian клинови́дный, клинообра́зный
- клинови́дный (klinovídnyj)having the form of a wedge
- клинообра́зный (klinoobráznyj)having the form of a wedge
- клинопи́сный (klinopísnyj)written in the cuneiform writing system
- кли́нопись (klínopisʹ)ancient writing system
- клинови́дная кость (klinovídnaja kostʹ)wedge-shaped bone
Spanish cuneiforme, escritura cuneiforme
- cuneiformewritten in the cuneiform writing system
- escritura cuneiformeancient writing system
- (hueso) cuneiformewedge-shaped bone
Swedish kilformad, kilformig
- kilformadhaving the form of a wedge
- kilformighaving the form of a wedge
- kilskriftwritten in the cuneiform writing system
- kilskriftancient writing system
- kilbenwedge-shaped bone
Turkish çivi yazısı
- çivi yazısıancient writing system
Ukrainian клиноподі́бний, клинопи́сний
- клиноподі́бний (klynopodíbnyj)having the form of a wedge
- клинопи́сний (klynopýsnyj)written in the cuneiform writing system
- кли́нопис (klýnopys)ancient writing system
Vietnamese chữ hình nêm
- chữ hình nêmancient writing system
Welsh cynaidd, cynffurf
- cynaiddhaving the form of a wedge
- cynffurfhaving the form of a wedge
Cite this entry
APA
cuneiform. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cuneiform
MLA
“cuneiform.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cuneiform. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cuneiform,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cuneiform.
Source: cuneiform on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.