Pyxis definition
A capsule dehiscing transversely by a lid that falls off to release the seeds.
noun
A constellation in the Southern Hemisphere, near Antlia and Puppis.
noun
A vase with a cover, used by the ancient Greeks and Romans.
noun
A small box or case.
noun
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(bot.) A dehiscent, dry fruit whose upper portion splits off as a lid, as the fruit of a pimpernel.
noun
(place, proper) A S constellation between Puppis and Antlia.
noun
A capsule dehiscing transversely by a lid that falls off to release the seeds.
noun
(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.
pronoun
Other Word Forms
Noun
Singular:
pyxis
Plural:
pyxidesOrigin of pyxis
- New Latin Pyxis (nautica) (mariner's) compass from Greek puxis box
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- Latin pyxis box from Greek puxis
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- Named by the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1763, and originally called Pyxis Nautica "Nautical compass". From Latin pyxis, a "little box"
From Wiktionary
- From Latin pyxis (“small box").
From Wiktionary