Rosetta stone
noun
a stone slab, found in 1799 near Rosetta, bearing parallel inscriptions in Greek, Egyptian hieroglyphic, and demotic characters, making possible the decipherment of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.
a clue, breakthrough, or discovery that provides crucial knowledge for the solving of a puzzle or problem.
Example sentences from the Web for rosetta stone
This strong similitude,—as a Rosetta-stone,—led us to the first translation of the Architectural wonders.
If the Rosetta-stone idea had been introduced it would have defeated them, but entrails had no embarrassments for them.
What Is Man? And Other Stories |Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
British Dictionary definitions for rosetta stone
Rosetta stone
noun
a basalt slab discovered in 1799 at Rosetta, dating to the reign of Ptolemy V (196 bc) and carved with parallel inscriptions in Egyptian hieroglyphics, demotic characters, and Greek, which provided the key to the decipherment of ancient Egyptian texts
Cultural definitions for rosetta stone
Rosetta stone
A stone discovered in Egypt (see also Egypt) in the late eighteenth century, inscribed with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and a translation of them in Greek. The stone proved to be the key to understanding Egyptian writing.
notes for Rosetta stone
A “Rosetta stone” is the key to understanding a complex problem.