sepias

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Sepia \Se"pi*a\, n.; pl. E. Sepias, L. Sepiae. [L., fr. Gr. ??? the cuttlefish, or squid.]

1.(Zool.) (a) The common European cuttlefish. (b) A genus comprising the common cuttlefish and numerous similar species. See Illustr. under Cuttlefish. [1913 Webster]

2.A pigment prepared from the ink, or black secretion, of the sepia, or cuttlefish. Treated with caustic potash, it has a rich brown color; and this mixed with a red forms Roman sepia. Cf. India ink, under India. [1913 Webster]

Sepia drawing or Sepia picture, a drawing in monochrome, made in sepia alone, or in sepia with other brown pigments. [1913 Webster]