stigma

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“
One important structure different to euglenas can be known as the stigma, a organelle that is sensitive to light.

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Definitions (21)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (8)

  1. noun A mark or token of infamy, disgrace, or reproach: "Party affiliation has never been more casual . . . The stigmata of decay are everywhere” (Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.) See Synonyms at stain.
  2. noun A small mark; a scar or birthmark.
  3. noun Medicine A mark or characteristic indicative of a history of a disease or abnormality.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (8)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

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Examples (50)

  • "It is true that the rape scenes are highlighted in the films today, but side by side the stigma is a reality of our society," said Tagore, who started her career 50 years ago. —  Screen News
  • People who don't know anything about the car industry wouldn't know that though because they refuse to give American cars a chance because of the stigma which is no longer accurate. —  Cafferty File
  • As long as sex workers are morally quarantined by illegality and stigma, they risk being robbed, cheated, raped, knifed, shot, beaten up, strangled, abducted, arrested and given diseases said "out" sex worker and SWOP organizer Pussy Willow, 47.
  • True crime has a bit of a stigma, and some people look down on it. —  NEWS updates from www.voiceofsandiego.org
  • This has happened time and time again that I'm not even sure how to react when the company (renamed Premier to get away from the Diebold name stigma) has finally admitted that its machines have a flaw that drops votes. —  Techdirt
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This word has been looked up 154 times.

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Related

Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

pistil ·  disgrace ·  taint ·  dishonour ·  ignominy ·  obloquy ·  reproach ·  imputation ·  stigmata ·  opprobrium ·  stain
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English stigme, brand, from Latin stigma, stigmat-, tattoo indicating slave or criminal status, from Greek, tattoo mark, from stizein, stig-, to prick; see steig- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. = French stigmate = Spanish Portuguese estigma = Italian stimate, stigma = German stigma, from New Latin stigma, from Latin stigma, from Greek στίγμα, plural στίγματα, a mark, especially of a pointed instrument, a spot, brand, from στίξειν, mark (with a point), prick, brand: see stick.
  2. Greek στίγμα, the ligature ς, an altered form, to bring in στ, of σίγμα or σῖγμα, the letter σ, ς, sigma: see sigma. The ligature was also called στῖ.
 

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/ˈstɪgmə/
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