cuneiform

 
Pronunciation: /ˈkjuːnɪfɔːm, kjuːˈneɪɪfɔːm/

adjective

  • 1denoting or relating to the wedge-shaped characters used in the ancient writing systems of Mesopotamia, Persia, and Ugarit, surviving mainly on clay tablets: a cuneiform inscription
  • 2 Anatomy denoting three bones of the tarsus (ankle) between the navicular bone and the metatarsals.
  • 3chiefly Biology wedge-shaped: the eggs are cuneiform

noun

[mass noun]
  • cuneiform writing: a Mesopotamian script pre-dating cuneiform

Origin:

late 17th century: from French cunéiforme or modern Latin cuneiformis, from Latin cuneus 'wedge'