epigyne

English

Etymology

From modern Latin epigynum, from Ancient Greek ἐπί (epí) + γυνή (gunḗ, “female”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛpɪd͡ʒaɪn/

Noun

epigyne (plural epigynes)

1. (zoology) The external female sex organ in arachnids.
   • 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)

The underside and head of a female spider