Meanings
plural epigynes
- biologyThe external female sex organ in arachnids.
1 more example
1996: This [genital] area is inconspicuous in most adult males and in immature females, but in adult females of the majority of species it is modified into a variably shaped, more or less sclerotized structure called the epigyne. — Michael J. Roberts, Spiders of Britain and Northern Europe (Collins 1996, p. 16)
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Ancient Greekἐπί
- Englishepigyne
From modern Latin epigynum, from Ancient Greek ἐπί (epí) + γυνή (gunḗ, “female”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
epigyne. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epigyne
“epigyne.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epigyne. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “epigyne,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epigyne.
Source: epigyne on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.