cestus

¹

[ ses-tuhs ]

noun

, plural ces·ti [ses, -tahy].

1. a girdle or belt, especially as worn by women of ancient Greece.
2. Classical Mythology. the girdle of Venus, decorated with every object that could arouse amorous desire.

cestus

²

[ ses-tuhs ]

noun

, Roman Antiquity.

, plural ces·tus·es.

1. a hand covering made of leather strips and often covered with metal studs, worn by boxers.

cestus

¹

/ ˈsɛstəs; ˈsɛstɒs /

noun

1. classical myth the girdle of Aphrodite (Venus) decorated to cause amorousness

cestus

²

/ ˈsɛstəs /

noun

1. (in classical Roman boxing) a pugilist's gauntlet of bull's hide loaded or studded with metal

Word History and Origins

Origin of cestus¹

1570–80; < Latin < Greek kestós a girdle, literally, (something) stitched, equivalent to kes- (variant stem of kenteîn to stitch; center ) + -tos verbal adjective suffix

Origin of cestus²

1725–35; < Latin cestus, caestus

Word History and Origins

Origin of cestus¹

C16: from Latin, from Greek kestos belt, from kentein to stitch

Origin of cestus²

C18: from Latin caestus, probably from caedere to strike, slay

Example Sentences

Instantly, Miss Skiffins stopped it with the neatness of a placid boxer, took off that girdle or cestus as before, and laid it on the table.

From Literature

Acer’s new Predator Cestus 500 mouse is a high-end ambidextrous gaming mouse with a few customization options.

From The Verge

The Cestus 500 will be available in November.

From The Verge

According to his company’s website, Van Alen took a jai alai player’s cestus out to a local driving range and, after throwing a few balls with it, figured he had the makings of a fun new pastime.

From Washington Times

Instead of meeting the Gorn Captain at Cestus III we now encounter the species for the 1st time on New Vulcan.

From Forbes