sphinxes

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English

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sphinxes noun

A creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal (commonly a lion).
A person who keeps his/her thoughts and intentions secret; an enigmatic person.
A mandrill, Mandrillus sphinx, formerly classified a baboon, and called sphinx baboon.
A sphinx moth.

sphinxes verb

To decorate with sphinxes“a marble sphinxed chimney-piece”
To adopt the posture of the Sphinx.“A hot lion with a very bloated stomach ... will adopt either a sphinxed or a squatting posture which takes some of the weight off its belly.”
To be inscrutable, often through silence“(1900) The sphinxèd riddle of the Universe / Nature's unsolved enigma, who may prove?”
To make one guess at the unknowable“(1933) Perhaps Nature is sphinxing us on purpose. Whatever her objects may be, perhaps she gets her work done better when she appeals to our gambling instincts. If you knew for certain exactly how your marriage was going to turn out ...”

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