stela
noun
ste·la
| \ ˈstē-lə
\
\
variants:
or stele \ ˈstē-lē
\
\
plural stelae\ ˈstē-(ˌ)lē
\
or steles
\
or steles
Definition of stela
: a usually carved or inscribed stone slab or pillar used for commemorative purposes
Examples of stela in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
More than 1,300 years later, archaeologists working 32km (20 miles) north of Naranjo at a site now called Witzna discovered a stela bearing the location's ancient name: Bahlam Jol. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Warring Maya kingdoms razed enemy cities to the ground," 6 Aug. 2019 The stela served as a legal document that established the role the queen was to play in the temple, together with a large donation of land and goods by Pharaoh Ahmose to the queen and her heirs. — National Geographic, "How three rebel queens of Egypt overthrew an empire and gave birth to a new kingdom," 7 Mar. 2019 The pharaoh had a gorgeous limestone stela made for Mentuwoser, to be placed at Abydos, where Osiris, the god of the afterlife, presided. — Salima Ikram, Smithsonian, "For Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, Life Was a Banquet, But the Afterlife Was the Greatest Feast of All," 3 Feb. 2017 At the cult center of Abydos, Osiris could watch over Mentuwoser, and pilgrims could say blessings, make offerings, or pour libations before the stela. — Salima Ikram, Smithsonian, "For Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, Life Was a Banquet, But the Afterlife Was the Greatest Feast of All," 3 Feb. 2017 The stela, now on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City, shows Mentuwoser seated in front of a table bearing a massive amount of food. — Salima Ikram, Smithsonian, "For Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, Life Was a Banquet, But the Afterlife Was the Greatest Feast of All," 3 Feb. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stela.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more