# sheela-na-gig

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. 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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/sheela-na-gig