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sphinx

sphinx

noun SFANKS Rare
Arts & Culture Traditions

Origin: Greek sphingein 'to bind, to strangle'

Also means

enigmatic person

Usage Note

Sphinx refers to the mythological creature with a human head and animal body, most famously the Great Sphinx at Giza. In figurative French use, calling someone un sphinx means they are inscrutable and reveal nothing. The word is invariable in the plural — les sphinx.

Examples

"Le sphinx gardait l'entrée du temple."

Natural Translation

The sphinx guarded the entrance to the temple.

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