uraeus

[ yoo-ree-uhs ]

noun,plural u·rae·us·es.
  1. the sacred asp as represented upon the headdress of divinities and royal personages of ancient Egypt, usually directly over the forehead, as an emblem of supreme power.

Origin of uraeus

1
1825–35; <New Latin <Late Greek ouraîos, perhaps based ultimately on Egyptian yʿrt cobra, altered by association with Greek ouraîos of the tail; see uro-2

Words Nearby uraeus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use uraeus in a sentence

  • She was dressed in priestly robes and wore a costly head-dress with the winged disc and the uraeus.

  • All wisdom is in the mouth of thy majesty; Thy uraeus is on thy forehead, thou drivest away the miserable.

  • The next morning, Amenhotep's uraeus was gone and the corpse of Jason's man was found—part of it.

    Zero Data | Charles Saphro
  • Without doubt it was the uraeus, that symbol which only the royalties of Old Egypt dared to wear.

    The Yellow God | H. Rider Haggard
  • The uraeus or snake worn in the crowns and head-dresses of the Pharaohs was a symbol of royalty.

    A Complete Guide to Heraldry | Arthur Charles Fox-Davies

British Dictionary definitions for uraeus

uraeus

/ (jʊˈriːəs) /


nounplural -uses
  1. the sacred serpent represented on the headdresses of ancient Egyptian kings and gods

Origin of uraeus

1
C19: from New Latin, from Greek ouraios, from Egyptian uro asp

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