cylinder seal

noun

: a cylinder (as of stone) engraved in intaglio and used especially in ancient Mesopotamia to roll an impression on wet clay

Examples of cylinder seal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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And unlike the cylinder seals, the hundreds of iconographic signs attributed to proto-cuneiform have only ever been found on tablets in southern Iraq. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024 Those matches essentially establish a direct link between the cylinder seal system and the invention of writing. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cylinder seal was in 1887

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Cite this Entry

“Cylinder seal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cylinder%20seal. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

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