codex

[ koh-deks ]

noun

, plural co·di·ces [koh, -d, uh, -seez, kod, -, uh, -].

1. a quire of manuscript pages held together by stitching: the earliest form of book, replacing the scrolls and wax tablets of earlier times.
2. a manuscript volume, usually of an ancient classic or the Scriptures.
3. Archaic. a code; book of statutes.

codex

/ ˈkəʊdɛks /

noun

1. a volume, in book form, of manuscripts of an ancient text
2. obsolete.
   a legal code

Word History and Origins

Origin of codex¹

1575–85; < Latin cōdex, caudex tree-trunk, book (formed originally from wooden tablets); code

Word History and Origins

Origin of codex¹

C16: from Latin: tree trunk, wooden block, book

Example Sentences

Ancient Aztec communities from the pre-Columbian period of Mesoamerica had a rich mythological codex that was also part of their ritual and sacrificial ceremonies.

From Science Daily

The pair turn into a tracking device when Venom fully manifests, and the codex can be destroyed only if one of them dies, so the story is essentially a chase movie through the American Southwest.

From Los Angeles Times

Studs are like codex for the alternative — unmistakable messaging that turns any chill fit into a statement.

From Los Angeles Times

The codex is on display at Christie's New York and will remain there until 9 April.

From BBC

In explaining a whole new vista of spectacle evolving around the demands of personal tech, this exhibition demonstrates the human element by enlisting relics of the past — the humble codex, map and page.

From New York Times

Related Words

• album
• booklet
• brochure
• copy
• dictionary
• edition
• essay
• fiction
• magazine
• manual
• novel
• pamphlet
• paperback
• publication
• text
• textbook
• tome
• volume
• work
• writing