stele
1 synonym for stele, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — An upright stone slab carved or painted with inscriptions or images, especially one surviving from antiquity.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use stele
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
an ancient stele
a carved stele
a funerary stele
the stele of the root
This is a specialist term, used mainly in archaeology and botany rather than everyday speech.
Etymology
The archaeological sense comes from Ancient Greek stēlē, meaning an upright rock, pillar or column, and is a doublet of the word stela. The botanical sense entered English later, by way of French stèle, which traces back to the same Ancient Greek word.
Full origin of stele →Frequently asked questions
What is a stele in archaeology?
It is an upright stone slab, often carved or painted with inscriptions or images, sometimes used as a grave marker or monument.
How do you pronounce stele?
In modern English it is usually pronounced STEE-lee, though an older pronunciation rhyming with steel was also used.
What does stele mean in botany?
It refers to the core of vascular tissue that runs through a plant's stem or root.
