spica

American  

[spahy-kuh] / ˈspaɪ kə /

noun

plural

spicae, spicas

1. spike.

2. a type of bandage in the shape of a figure eight, extending from an extremity to the trunk.

3. Astronomy. Spica, a first-magnitude star in the constellation Virgo.

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spica ¹ British  

/ ˈspaɪkə /

noun

1. med a spiral bandage formed by a series of overlapping figure-of-eight turns

2. botany another word for spike 2

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Spica ² British  

/ ˈspiːkə /

noun

1. the brightest star in the constellation Virgo. Distance: 260 light years

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Spica Scientific  

/ spī′kə /

1. A bright bluish-white binary star in the constellation Virgo, with an apparent magnitude of 0.96. Scientific name: Alpha Virginis.

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Etymology

Origin of spica

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin spīca literally, “ear of grain”; spike ²

Example Sentences

“I like it because it’s tasty, and mostly because it’s good,” the 8-year-old said, though he rated a new roll with spica tuna he recently tried a “negative million.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

He poured a little water from his carafe into a saucer, made a compress of lint, fastened it over the injured eye, and secured the whole with a spica bandage, secundum artem.

From Round the Red Lamp by Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir

The Plough faintly outlined above, and beautiful spica hanging low over Windle Flats.

From The Argosy Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891 by Wood, Charles W.

The most commonly known species are L. vera, L. spica and L stæchas.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 799, April 25, 1891 by Various

In the south of France, whether the oil be distilled from the flowers of the Lavandula vera or Lavandula spica, it is named oil of lavender.

From The Art of Perfumery And Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants by Piesse, George William Septimus