pax

[paks, pahks]

noun

Ecclesiastical. kiss of peace.
(initial capital letter) a period in history marked by the absence of major wars, usually imposed by a predominant nation.

Origin of pax

1325–75; Middle English < Latin: peace

Pax

[paks, pahks]

noun

the Roman goddess of peace.

PAX

private automatic exchange.

pax vobiscum

[pahks woh-bis-koo m; English paks voh-bis-kuh m, pahks]

Latin.

peace be with you.

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

Examples from the Web for pax

Historical Examples of pax

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 Religious Experience of the Roman People
W. Warde Fowler
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

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

interjection

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

Word Origin for pax

Latin: peace

Pax

noun

the Roman goddess of peaceGreek counterpart: Irene
a period of general peace, esp one in which there is one dominant nation

Word Origin for Pax

Latin: peace

PAX

abbreviation for

private automatic exchange

pax vobiscum

peace be with you

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

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).