Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sheela-na-gig

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.92 in modern English

Syllables: shee-la--na-gig
IPA

16

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

5

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A carving of a naked woman with an exaggerated vulva, found in old British and Irish architecture, perhaps used to ward off death and evil.

Etymology

From Irish Síle na gcíoch (“Julia of the breasts”). Attested in English from the 19th century.

Origin

Source language: Irish

Word Breakdown

Root: Síle

Inflected Forms

sheela-na-gigs (plural)

Questions

What does sheela-na-gig mean?: A carving of a naked woman with an exaggerated vulva, found in old British and Irish architecture, perhaps used to ward off death and evil.
Where does sheela-na-gig come from?: It is traced to Irish.

How to pronounce sheela-na-gig

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