Obelisk

Tapered four-sided stone monument

An obelisk (from Ancient Greek ὀβελίσκος (obelískos), diminutive of ὀβελός (obelós) ' spit, nail, pointed pillar'), less often spelled obelisque, is a tapered, four-sided stone monument that is usually monolithic and has a pyramidal top. Originally constructed by the Egyptians and called tekhenu, the Greeks used the Greek term obeliskos to describe them, and this word passed into Latin and ultimately English. Though William Thomas used the term correctly in his Historie of Italie of 1549, by the late sixteenth century (after reduced contact with Italy following the excommunication of Queen Elizabeth), Shakespeare failed to distinguish between pyramids and obelisks in his plays and sonnets.

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