Translingual

Etymology

Latin pyxis ‎(“little box”), from Ancient Greek

Proper noun

Pyxis f

1. A taxonomic genus within the family Testudinidae – certain tortoises native to Madagascar.

Hypernyms

• (genus): Reptilia - class, Anapsida - subclass, Testudines - order, Cryptodira - suborder, Testudinoidea - superfamily, Testudinidae - family

Hyponyms

• (genus): Pyxis arachnoides, Pyxis planicauda - species

English

Proper noun

Pyxis

1. (astronomy) A spring constellation of the southern sky, said to resemble the compass of a ship. It is associated with the larger Argo Navis, although it was never officially part of that constellation.

Derived terms

• Pyxidis

Translations

See also

• Argo
• Argo Navis
• Carina
• Puppis
• Vela

English

Noun

pyxis ‎(plural pyxides)

1. A small box
2. (botany): A capsule in which the lid separates from the top of the fruit to release the seeds; a pyxidium
3. A nautical compass
4. (Christianity): The box in which ashes are stored for Ash Wednesday
5. (anatomy) acetabulum

Synonyms

• (botanical capsule): pyxidium

Translations

Latin

Alternative forms

• puxis
• pixis Medieval

Etymology

Borrowing from Ancient Greek πυξίς ‎(puxís).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈpyk.sis/, [ˈpʏk.sɪs]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈpik.sis/

Noun

pyxis f ‎(genitive pyxidis); third declension

1. A small box, for holding medicines or toiletries.

Inflection

Third declension.

Related terms

• pyxidatus

References

• pyxis in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• pyxis in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• PYXIS in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “pyxis”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
• pyxis in The Perseus Project (1999) Perseus Encyclopedia
• pyxis in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• pyxis in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin