stele

Everyday

1. (history) An upright stone slab or pillar with writing or carvings on it, put up as a monument, gravestone or to record laws or events. tree →
2. (science, botany) The central core of a plant's root or stem, which carries water and food. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons about ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Maya and China, stelae recorded laws, victories and names of rulers; Hammurabi's law code is carved on a stele, and the Rosetta Stone is part of a stele. In older pupils' biology, the stele carries water through a root.

Examples

• Hammurabi's laws were carved on a tall black stele. tree →
• The Rosetta Stone is a broken piece of a stele. tree →
• The Maya put up stelae to honour their kings. tree →
• The stele marks the grave of an ancient soldier. tree →
• We saw a carved stele in the British Museum. tree →
• The archaeologists cleaned the stele to read the old writing. tree →

Note

Say «STEE-lee» (two syllables). Plural «stelae» (STEE-lee) or «steles». Do not mix up with «steel» (metal) or «steal» (take).