cestus

[ses-tuh s]

noun, plural ces·ti

[ses-tahy] /ˈsɛs taɪ/.

a girdle or belt, especially as worn by women of ancient Greece.
Classical Mythology. the girdle of Venus, decorated with every object that could arouse amorous desire.

Also especially British, ces·tos.

Origin of cestus

1570–80; < Latin < Greek kestós a girdle, literally, (something) stitched, equivalent to kes- (variant stem of kenteîn to stitch; see center) + -tos verbal adjective suffix

cestus

[ses-tuh s]

noun, plural ces·tus·es. Roman Antiquity.

a hand covering made of leather strips and often covered with metal studs, worn by boxers.

Origin of cestus

1725–35; < Latin cestus, caestus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for cestus

Historical Examples of cestus

Venus has lent her her cestus, and shares with her the attendance of the Graces.
The History of Emily Montague
Frances Brooke
Her cestus or girdle holds all the magic of passion, and is borrowed even by Hera when she wishes to win her fickle lord.
Myth, Ritual And Religion, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Andrew Lang
Tom has been a sailor—a coal heaver—and some other genteel profession, before he took to the cestus.
Life of Lord Byron, Vol. II
Thomas Moore
Cestus, ses′tus, n. the girdle of Venus, which had power to awaken love: an ancient boxing-glove loaded with lead or iron.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)
Various
This cestus was a fine parti-coloured girdle, which, as Homer tells us, had all the attractions of the sex wrought into it.
The Tatler, Volume 3
Various

British Dictionary definitions for cestus

cestus

cestos (ˈsɛstɒs)

noun

classical myth the girdle of Aphrodite (Venus) decorated to cause amorousness

Word Origin for cestus

C16: from Latin, from Greek kestos belt, from kentein to stitch

cestus

caestus

noun plural -tus or -tuses

(in classical Roman boxing) a pugilist's gauntlet of bull's hide loaded or studded with metal

Word Origin for cestus

C18: from Latin caestus, probably from caedere to strike, slay

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012