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• spica
  spica

  noun

  spike.
• Spica
  Spica

  noun

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

spica

American  

[spahy-kuh] / ˈspaɪ kə /

noun

• spicae,
  plural
• spicas
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• spicae
  plural
• spicas
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of spica

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spica Spica

“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

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

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

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 George William Septimus Piesse

It is also the botanical name of the Lavandula spica, or spikenard, from which a white, aromatic and highly inflammable oil is distilled, called huile d’aspic.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 7 "Arundel, Thomas" to "Athens" by Various

“We can tell you it’s a tanker, it’s a fishing vessel, it’s a speedboat, it’s a sailing boat,” said Zack Spica, a University of Michigan assistant professor who co-founded Lumetec, which is selling the technology.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026

That’s a star named Spica that belongs to the Virgo constellation.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 3, 2021

Arcturus is in the constellation Boötes and Spica is in Virgo, so you’ve now found two additional constellations.

From New York Times ● Oct. 29, 2020

The planet travels across the heavens with the double star Spica, a first magnitude object similar in brightness to Mars — dim for the Washington area.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 4, 2017

This is Spica, the chief twinkler of Virgo, and it is marked on our circular map.

From Astronomy with an Opera-glass A Popular Introduction to the Study of the Starry Heavens with the Simplest of Optical Instruments by Garrett Putman Serviss

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