caduceus

C3A1D2U1C3E1U1S1
US/kəˈdu.si.əs/US/kəˈdjuː.si.əs/

noun

The official wand carried by a herald in ancient Greece and Rome, specifically the one carried in mythology by Hermes, the messenger of the gods, usually represented with two snakes twined around it.

“For quotations using this term, see Citations:caduceus.”

Similar
golden wand
OriginLatin cādūceus ← Ancient Greek καρύκειον →
UncommonScrabble 13
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Meanings

nouncaduceus (plural caducei)

plural caducei

  1. The official wand carried by a herald in ancient Greece and Rome, specifically the one carried in mythology by Hermes, the messenger of the gods, usually represented with two snakes twined around it.

    Caduceus the rod of Mercury, / With which he wonts the Stygian realmes inuade […]

    1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC

    Synonyms: golden wand

  2. A symbol (☤) representing a staff with two snakes wrapped around it, used to indicate merchants and messengers. It is also sometimes incorrectly substituted for the rod of Asclepius as a symbol of medicine.

    For quotations using this term, see Citations:caduceus.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe official wand carried by a herald in ancient Greece and Rome, specifically the one carried in mythology by Hermes, the messenger of the gods, usually represented with two snakes twined around it.

Similar
golden wand

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekκαρύκειον“herald’s wand or staff”
  2. Latincādūceus
  3. Englishcaduceus

Via Latin cādūceus, cādūceum, adaptation of Doric Ancient Greek καρύκειον (karúkeion, “herald’s wand or staff”). This and Attic Greek κηρύκειον (kērúkeion) are derived from κῆρυξ (kêrux, “herald, public messenger”). Related to κηρύσσω (kērússō, “to announce”).

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek κηρύκειον
  • κηρύκειον (kērúkeion)symbol
Bulgarian кадуцей
  • кадуцей (kaducej)symbol
Dutch caduceus
  • caduceussymbol
Esperanto kaduceo
  • kaduceosymbol
French caducée
  • caducéesymbol
German Hermesstab, Caduceus
  • Hermesstabsymbol
  • Caduceussymbol
Greek κηρύκειο
  • κηρύκειο (kirýkeio)symbol
Italian caduceo
  • caduceosymbol
Persian کادوسه
  • کادوسه (kâduse)symbol
Polish kaduceusz, kerykejon
  • kaduceuszsymbol
  • kerykejonsymbol
Portuguese caduceu
  • caduceusymbol
Romanian caduceu
  • caduceusymbol
Russian кадуце́й
  • кадуце́й (kaducéj)symbol
Spanish caduceo
  • caduceosymbol
Turkish kadüse
  • kadüsesymbol
Welsh ffon sarffog
  • ffon sarffogsymbol
Cite this entry
APA

caduceus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caduceus

MLA

“caduceus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caduceus. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “caduceus,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caduceus.

Source: caduceus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.