ephippium

E1P3H4I1P3P3I1U1M3

noun

A depression in the sphenoid bone; the pituitary fossa.

OriginLatin ephippium ← Ancient Greek ἐφίππιον →
Scrabble 20
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounephippium (plural ephippia)

plural ephippia

  1. anatomyA depression in the sphenoid bone; the pituitary fossa.
  2. biologyA saddle-shaped cavity or pouch to contain the winter eggs, situated on the back of water fleas (Diplostraca spp.; Cladocera spp.)

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἐφίππιον
  2. Latinephippium“saddlecloth”
  3. Englishephippium

From Latin ephippium (“saddlecloth”), from Ancient Greek ἐφίππιον (ephíppion), from ἐπῐ́ (epĭ́) + ἵππος (híppos, “horse”).

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

ephippium. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ephippium

MLA

“ephippium.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ephippium. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ephippium,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ephippium.

Source: ephippium on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.