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pax

[paks, pahks]
noun
  1. Ecclesiastical. kiss of peace.
  2. (initial capital letter) a period in history marked by the absence of major wars, usually imposed by a predominant nation.
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Origin of pax

1325–75; Middle English < Latin: peace

Pax

[paks, pahks]
noun
  1. the Roman goddess of peace.
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PAX

  1. private automatic exchange.
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pax vobiscum

[pahks woh-bis-koo m; English paks voh-bis-kuh m, pahks]
Latin.
  1. peace be with you.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for pax

Historical Examples

  • Let us say a Pax eterna,' and he fumbled for his beads as he spoke.

    Gerald Fitzgerald

    Charles James Lever

  • The ways and means towards the maintenance of this pax were as follows.

  • The whip cracked, and Pax, leaping forward, seized the side of the engine.

    Post Haste

    R.M. Ballantyne

  • You forget, Pax, that I sometimes carry telegraphic messages.

    Post Haste

    R.M. Ballantyne

  • Suddenly it occurred to Pax that now was a favourable opportunity to test his plan.

    Post Haste

    R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for pax

pax

noun
  1. mainly RC Church
    1. a greeting signifying Christian love transmitted from one to another of those assisting at the Eucharist; kiss of peace
    2. a small metal or ivory plate, often with a representation of the Crucifixion, formerly used to convey the kiss of peace from the celebrant at Mass to those attending it, who kissed the plate in turn
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interjection
  1. British school slang a call signalling an end to hostilities or claiming immunity from the rules of a game: usually accompanied by a crossing of the fingers
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Word Origin

Latin: peace

Pax

noun
  1. the Roman goddess of peaceGreek counterpart: Irene
  2. a period of general peace, esp one in which there is one dominant nation
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Word Origin

Latin: peace

PAX

abbreviation for
  1. private automatic exchange
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pax vobiscum

  1. peace be with you
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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

Word Origin and History for pax

n.

mid-15c., "kiss of peace," from Latin pax (genitive pacis) "peace," in Ecclesiastical Latin, "kiss of peace" (see peace). Capitalized, Pax was the name of the Roman goddess of peace. Used by 1933 with adjectives from national names, on model of Pax Romana (e.g. Pax Britannica, 1872; Pax Americana, 1886, with reference to Latin America).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper