obelisk

Etymology

(sense 1), which was originally erected by Pharaoh Thutmose III around 1490 BCE in Egypt, then transported by the Roman emperor Theodosius I and installed in the Hippodrome of Constantinople (in modern-day Istanbul, Turkey) in 390.]] From Middle French obelisque, from Latin obeliscus (“obelisk”), from Ancient Greek ὀβελίσκος (obelískos), diminutive of ὀβελός (obelós, “needle”). Doublet of obelus.

noun

1. (architecture) A tall, square, tapered, stone monolith topped with a pyramidal point, frequently used as a monument.
   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
2. (typography) Synonym of obelus
   1. (historical) A 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. A 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.

verb

1. (entomology, of a dragonfly) To 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