obelisk

plural obelisks · alternative obelisc

1. architectureA tall, square, tapered, stone monolith topped with a pyramidal point, frequently used as a monument.First known use mid 16th c.

   The Washington Monument is often described as an obelisk, and sometimes even as a "true obelisk," even though it is not. A true obelisk is a monolith, a pylon formed out of a single piece of stone.

   2012 January, Henry Petroski, “The Washington Monument”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 1, page 16

   1 more example

   "The clay envelope is Sumerian. It is from the third millennium B.C. It was dug up from the city of Eridu is southern Iraq. The black stele or obelisk is the Code of Hammurabi, which dates from about 1750 B.C.

   1992, Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash, page 200

2. Synonym of obelus.
   1. historicalmediaA symbol resembling a horizontal line (–), sometimes together with one or two dots (for example, ⨪ or ÷), which was used in ancient manuscripts and texts to mark a word or passage as doubtful or spurious, or redundant.
   2. mediaA dagger symbol (†), which is used in printed matter as a reference mark to refer the reader to a footnote, marginal note, etc.; beside a person's name to indicate that the person is deceased; or beside a date to indicate that it is a person's death date.
3. biologyAn RNA structure similar to a viroid, with a rod-like secondary structure, which comprises its own phylogenetic group.

present singular third person obelisks · participle present obelisking · participle past obelisked · past obelisked

1. biologyTo adopt the obelisk posture; to point the tip of the abdomen towards the sun.

   Dragonflies that spend the day in full sun may obelisk to minimize the sunlight striking the body. An obelisking dragonfly looks like it's doing a headstand[…]

   2004, Cynthia Berger, Dragonflies