caduceus
Americannoun
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Classical Mythology. the staff carried by Mercury as messenger of the gods.
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a representation of this staff used as an emblem of the medical profession and as the insignia of the U.S. Army Medical Corps.
noun
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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
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an insignia resembling this staff used as an emblem of the medical profession Compare staff of Aesculapius
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
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
Vocabulary lists containing caduceus
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ostich popped the eight-foot parachute brake; the Flying Caduceus skidded wildly for nearly two miles, snapped off a wheel, hopped briefly into the air and shuddered to a halt.
From Time Magazine Archive
On his feet were winged sandals; wings were on his low-crowned hat, too, and on his magic wand, the Caduceus.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
It might be compared to an allegorical engraving by some artist of the sixteenth century—Robeta or the Master of the Caduceus.
From Renaissance in Italy: Italian Literature Part 1 (of 2) by Symonds, John Addington
But the constellation was known by the names Caduceus, Orbiculus, Corona Sagittarii, etc.
From Astronomical Curiosities Facts and Fallacies by Gore, J. Ellard
The ornaments of the domes, especially that of the Caduceus, are introduced with good effect.
From The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 19, No. 541, April 7, 1832 by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
