Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In anc. Egypt. sculp., a man-sphinx; a sphinx having the body of a lion with a human head and masculine attributes, as distinguished from one with the head of a ram (criosphinx), or of a hawk (hieracosphinx). See sphinx.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Egypt. Art.) A man sphinx; a sphinx having the head of a man and the body of a lion.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A sphinx with the head of a man.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

andro- +‎ sphinx

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Examples

  • The Egyptian sphinx -- there were three varieties, this being an 'androsphinx', with the head of a man and the body of a lion -- was viewed beneficently as a GUARDIAN of the paths to important or sacred premises.

    Archive 2007-12-01 Dan 2007

  • The Egyptian sphinx -- there were three varieties, this being an 'androsphinx', with the head of a man and the body of a lion -- was viewed beneficently as a GUARDIAN of the paths to important or sacred premises.

    A Christmas Riddle Dan 2007

  • The Egyptians, in their ancient wisdom, act in the desert a great androsphinx, image of mystery and silence, staring from under level brows across the arid sands of the sea-way.

    The Roadmender Michael Fairless 1885

  • Sometimes the androsphinx has human hands in place of the lion's paws.

    A History of Art for Beginners and Students Painting, Sculpture, Architecture Clara Erskine Clement Waters 1875

Comments

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  • The brain when awake merely thinks

    But dreaming it finds mystic links.

    Of these not the least

    Is man mixed with beast,

    As playful faun or grim androsphinx.

    August 12, 2015

  • I think Yeats would agree that it's "a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi." (See http://www.potw.org/archive/potw351.html.)

    August 12, 2015