spica

[ spahy-kuh ]

/ ˈspaɪ kə /

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noun, plural spi·cae

[spahy-see], /ˈspaɪ si/, spi·cas for 1, 2.

spike².

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

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

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Origin of spica

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin spīca literally, “ear of grain”;cf. spike²

Words nearby spica

sphygmoid, sphygmomanometer, sphygmus, Sphynx, spic, spica, spicate, spiccato, spice, spiceberry, spicebush

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use spica in a sentence

How much brighter is an ordinary first-magnitude star, such as Aldebaran or Spica, than a star just visible to the naked eye?
A Text-Book of Astronomy|George C. Comstock
The specific name, spicant, is from the Latin spica, “a point.”
How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin
In the southeast you will recognize the quadrilateral of Corvus, with the remarkably white star Spica glittering east of it.
Astronomy with an Opera-glass|Garrett Putman Serviss
The figure-of-eight bandage is used on various parts, and is illustrated in the bandage called spica of the groin, Fig.
The Home Medical Library, Volume I (of VI)|Various

The faint star which our larger apertures show about 6' northeast of Spica is of the tenth magnitude.
Pleasures of the telescope|Garrett Serviss

British Dictionary definitions for spica (1 of 2)

spica

/ (ˈspaɪkə) /

noun plural -cae (-siː) or -cas

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

botany another word for spike 2 (def. 1)

Word Origin for spica

C15: from Latin: ear of corn

British Dictionary definitions for spica (2 of 2)

Spica

/ (ˈspiːkə) /

noun

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

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

Scientific definitions for spica

Spica

[ spī′kə ]

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