sphinxes

Noun

sphinx (plural sphinxes or sphinges)

1. A creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal, commonly a lion.
   • [W]hatsoe'er of strange / Sculptured on alabaster obelisk, / Or jasper tomb, or mutilated sphynx, / Dark Æthiopia in her desert hills. / Conceals.1815 September 10 – December 14, Percy Bysshe Shelley, “Alastor; or, The Spirit of Solitude”, in Alastor; or, The Spirit of Solitude: And Other Poems, London: […] Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy, […]; and...
2. (figuratively) A person who keeps their thoughts and intentions secret; an enigmatic or impassive person.
   • ...it is clear that judges are no longer required to be as passive as they once were; to be what I call sphinx judges. We now not only accept that a judge may intervene in the adversarial debate, but also believe that it is sometimes essential for him to do so for justice in fact to be done.1985 February 21, Antonio Lamer, “Brouillard Also Known As Chatel v. The Queen, 1985 CanLII 56 (SCC)”, in CanLII, retrieved 22 Oct 2021

   Synonyms:

   enigma

3. (dated) A mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx), formerly classified as a baboon, and called sphinx baboon.
4. A sphinx moth.
5. (euphemistic, rare) A sphincter.
   • Constance said boastfully, ‘My sphinxes are strong and in good repair. I order you to come.’1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance (Avignon Quintet), Faber & Faber, published 2004, page 836

See all 11 meanings of sphinx