caduceus
[ kuh-doo-see-uh s, -syoos, -shuh s, -dyoo- ]
/ kəˈdu si əs, -syus, -ʃəs, -ˈdyu- /
noun, plural ca·du·ce·i [kuh-doo-see-ahy, -shee-ahy, -dyoo-] /kəˈdu siˌaɪ, -ʃiˌaɪ, -ˈdyu-/.
Classical Mythology.
the staff carried by Mercury as messenger of the gods.
a representation of this staff used as an emblem of the medical profession and as the insignia of the U.S. Army Medical Corps.
Compare
staff of Aesculapius.
Origin of caduceus
1585–95; < Latin, variant of
cādūceum < Greek (Doric)
kārȳ́keion herald's staff, equivalent to
kārȳk- (stem of
kârȳx) herald +
-eion, neuter of
-eios adj. suffix
OTHER WORDS FROM caduceus
ca·du·ce·an, adjectiveWords nearby caduceus
cadmium yellow,
cadmus,
cadogan teapot,
cadre,
cadreman,
caduceus,
caducibranchiate,
caducity,
caducous,
cadwalader,
cadwallader
Example sentences from the Web for caduceus
British Dictionary definitions for caduceus
caduceus
/ (kəˈdjuːsɪəs) /
noun plural -cei (-sɪˌaɪ)
classical myth
a staff entwined with two serpents and bearing a pair of wings at the top, carried by Hermes (Mercury) as messenger of the gods
an insignia resembling this staff used as an emblem of the medical profession
Compare staff of Aesculapius
Word Origin for caduceus
C16: from Latin, from Doric Greek
karukeion, from
karux herald
Medical definitions for caduceus
caduceus
[ kə-dōō′sē-əs, -shəs ]
n. pl. ca•du•ce•i (-sē-ī′)
A winged staff with two serpents twined around it, carried by Hermes.
An insignia modeled on Hermes' staff and used as the symbol of the medical profession.