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pyxis

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Pyxis¹

Where it comes from

Named by the French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille in 1763, and originally called Pyxis Nautica (“nautical compass”), from Latin pyxis (“little box”).

proper noun

  1. 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.

pyxis²

  • /ˈpɪksɪs/

Where it comes from

From Latin pyxis (“small box”). Doublet of box, piseog, and pyx.

noun pyxides

  1. A small box.
  2. A capsule in which the lid separates from the top of the fruit to release the seeds.

    Similar: pyxidium

  3. A nautical compass.
  4. The box in which ashes are stored for Ash Wednesday.
  5. acetabulum.

Translations

Every language

name constellation

EspañolBrújula, Pyxis
FrançaisBoussole
DeutschSchiffskompass, Pyxis
РусскийКо́мпас Kómpas

noun small box

DeutschPyxis

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Cite this
MLA

"pyxis." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/pyxis. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

pyxis. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/pyxis

Chicago

"pyxis." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/pyxis.

BibTeX
@misc{pyxis_2026,
  title = {pyxis},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/pyxis},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}