Caduceus – מילון אנגלי-אנגלי
caduceus
n.
staff with two snakes (symbol of the medical profession); insignia that bears a caduceus and symbolizes physician
Caduceus
The
caduceus (☤; or ; from
Greek "herald's staff" ) is the staff carried by
Hermes Trismegistus in
Egyptian mythology and
Hermes in
Greek mythology. The same staff was also borne by heralds in general, for example by
Iris, the messenger of
Hera. It is a short staff entwined by two
serpents, sometimes surmounted by wings. In Roman iconography, it was often depicted being carried in the left hand of
Mercury, the messenger of the gods, guide of the dead and protector of merchants, shepherds, gamblers, liars, and thieves.
caduceus
Noun
1. an insignia used by the medical profession; modeled after the staff of Hermes
(hypernym) insignia
Caduceus
(n.)
The official staff or wand of Hermes or Mercury, the messenger of the gods. It was originally said to be a herald's staff of olive wood, but was afterwards fabled to have two serpents coiled about it, and two wings at the top.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), edited by Noah Porter.
About
Caduceus
[Greek] The herald's staff or wand of Hermes. It is usually depicted as a winged rod with two serpents intertwined about it. As a group of fertility symbols, it is emblematic of the magic potency of the deity, and of the prosperity of peace.
