sphragis

Noun

sphragis (plural sphragides)

1. (especially) A mating plug in the genital opening of a female, formed from a waxy secretion deposited by a male during mating.
   • The plastic mass begins to harden quite rapidly, probably within a few minutes but, as largely hollow sphragides have been dissected from pairs killed in copula, possibly more than one ejaculation may be required to complete the body of the sphragis.1999, Roger Laurence Kitching, Biology of Australian Butterflies, page 129
   • Mated females of many acraeine species bear an unusual structure around their genital opening. Such structures are called sphragides (singular: sphragis), or more rarely spermatophragma (Ehrlich & Ehrlich, 1978; Orr, 1995).2008, Andrew F. E. Neild, The butterflies of Venezuela
2. Synonym of sphragide.
   • This made Lenian earth the first sgillated medicinal earth and wherever in literature the term terra sigillata appears without a location suffix, it refers to Lemnian earth, sometimes called Lemnia sphragis which is Greek for terra sigillata from Lemnos.2003, W. Rudolph Reinbacher, Healing Earths: The Third Leg of Medicine : a History of Minerals in Medicine with Rare Illustrations from 300 to 1000 Years Ago
   • The best Siopic red ochre is found on the island of Lemnos, and is called sphragis.2012, Nicholas Everett, The Alphabet of Galen: Pharmacy from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, page 359

   Synonyms:

   sphragide