Stigma

//ˈstɪɡmə// noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An indication of infamy or disgrace.

    "But to have as an enforced dining companion a man who was probably a Papist, certainly a rake, and bore the stigma of cowardice, was anathema."

  2. 2
    A ligature of the Greek letters sigma and tau: Ϛ / ϛ.
  3. 3
    a skin lesion that is a diagnostic sign of some disease wordnet
  4. 4
    An indication of infamy or disgrace.; A permanent identity mark branded, cut or tattooed onto the skin, typically given to slaves, criminals and traitors. historical
  5. 5
    an external tracheal aperture in a terrestrial arthropod wordnet
Show 9 more definitions
  1. 6
    An indication of infamy or disgrace.; A negative and often unfair attitude (held by a group or society, to something). figuratively

    "Yet, because of the stigma around nursing home placement, it is hard to find advocates from among the natural advocacy groups the families. You don't see families organized around long-term care as you do around specific diseases."

  2. 7
    a symbol of disgrace or infamy wordnet
  3. 8
    An indication of infamy or disgrace.; A mark on the body corresponding to one of the wounds of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and sometimes reported to bleed periodically.
  4. 9
    the apical end of the style where deposited pollen enters the pistil wordnet
  5. 10
    An indication of infamy or disgrace.; An expression or behaviour revealing one's hidden feelings. figuratively, poetic, rare

    "Bradly scowled - the stigmata of alarm. What ultimate threat to his peace and privacy did this dropping in by young Podson imply?"

  6. 11
    A scar or birthmark.
  7. 12
    The sticky part of a flower that receives pollen during pollination.

    "Black crowberry. Empetrum nigrum. Crowberry Family. Fruit. — The black drupe is berrylike, globular, and incloses six to nine seedlike nutlets with a seed in each. The calyx is at the base and the stigma is at the apex. The drupes are solitary in the leaf axils. They are juicy, acid, edible, and serve as food for the Arctic birds."

  8. 13
    A visible sign or characteristic of a disease.
  9. 14
    Synonym of pterostigma.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Latin stigma, from Ancient Greek στίγμα (stígma, “mark of slavery or disgrace”), from στίζω (stízō, “to mark”). Closely related to stigme, and distantly related to stick.

Etymology 2

From Byzantine Greek στίγμα (stígma), likely coined by analogy with σίγμα (sígma).

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