Stigma (Noun)

An external tracheal aperture in a terrestrial arthropod.

Nouns denoting body parts.

In many spiders, the stigma is situated in a circular pit at the front of the carapace.
Spiders that belong to the Mygalomorphae suborder lack stigmata in their external book lungs.
These creatures open the internal sac into an air-breathing stoma surrounded by hairs via their tracheal stigmata.
Entognathous stigmata located along a medial sternum evolved twice, according to trichognathid mandibles from North Korea and mid Ordovician Pernerid family material from Baltica.
Protoraechaic breath took the guise of slit or aperture for paired sets with respect to respiration breathing outside terrestrial limbs although today set under separate books surrounding ventrally disposed spiral spiral slotted later.

A symbol of disgrace or infamy; "And the Lord set a mark upon Cain"--Genesis.

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.

Being in debt can be a stigma for some families.
He believed that receiving mental health treatment would carry a stigma in his small community.
Her decision to have an abortion would forever carry a stigma among her family's social circle.
For years, mental illness has been plagued by the stigma that it is somehow the patient's fault.
Having a convicted felon as a family member can be a stigma for the rest of the household.

A skin lesion that is a diagnostic sign of some disease.

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects.

The rash on her hand was a stigma of her skin infection and the doctor prescribed her a topical antibiotic cream.
After examining the stigma on his leg, the dermatologist was able to diagnose him with eczema and provided him with treatment options.
The unusual skin stigma on the infant's cheek led the pediatrician to run further tests, which confirmed the diagnosis of a rare congenital condition.
A distinct stigma appeared on the patient's torso after contracting Lyme disease, allowing the doctor to identify the cause of his symptoms.
During the outbreak, the doctors paid close attention to any skin stigma that resembled smallpox lesions to identify and contain potential cases quickly.

The apical end of the style where deposited pollen enters the pistil.

Nouns denoting plants.

The stigma is the uppermost part of the pistil where pollen grains adhere and germinate to initiate fertilization in angiosperms.
Pollen grains must land on the stigma to begin the process of fertilization in flowering plants.
The shape and size of the stigma can affect the success rate of pollination and subsequent fertilization.
In some plant species, the stigma is modified to receive pollen from specific types of pollinators, such as bees or butterflies.
Research has focused on understanding the chemical and physical properties of the stigma that facilitate pollen adhesion and germination.