spica

[ spahy-kuh ]

/ ˈspaɪ kə /

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.

(initial capital letter) Astronomy. a first-magnitude star in the constellation Virgo.

Nearby words

Origin of spica

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin spīca literally, ear of grain; cf. spike²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for spica

But she is supposed to be a winged goddess who holds up in her right hand an ear of wheat, and that is what Spica means.
Earth and Sky Every Child Should Know|Julia Ellen Rogers
Spike lavender or French lavender; also the male lavender, spica nardi, or pseudo-nardus of old writers.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
These constellations contain the following stars of the first magnitude—Aldebaran, Antares, and Spica.
Astronomical Myths|John F. Blake
Spica represents the ear of corn held in the Virgin's left hand.
A Field Book of the Stars|William Tyler Olcott

Vogel, in 1889, discovered this in the case of Spica (α Virginis), whose period is 4d.
History of Astronomy|George Forbes

British Dictionary definitions for spica

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

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

Word Origin and History for spica

Spica

1728, bright star in constellation Virgo, from Latin, literally "ear of grain," corresponding to Greek stakhys (see spike (n.1)).

Science 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.