A sea urchin or a genus of sea urchins; also an architectural molding with an egg-and-dart pattern.
From Latin 'echinus,' from Greek 'echinos' (hedgehog), which was applied to sea urchins because of their spiky appearance resembling a rolled-up hedgehog.
Ancient Greek architects borrowed the sea urchin's name for a decorative molding because its carved egg-and-dart pattern resembles the bumpy texture of sea urchin spines—nature inspired classical beauty!
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