pyx
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A small, usually round container used to hold the host ….
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
piksIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈpɪks
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A chest in which coins from the mint are held to await assay
chiefly british
A box used in a mint as a place to deposit sample coins intended to have the fineness of their metal and their weight tested before the coins are issued to the public.
Roman Catholicismalso figurative
A small, usually round container used to hold the host ("consecrated bread or wafer of the Eucharist"), especially when bringing communion to the sick or others unable to attend Mass.
verb
chiefly british
To deposit (sample coins) in a pyx; (by extension) to test (such coins) for the fineness of metal and weight before a mint issues them to the public.
figuratively
To enclose (something) in a box or other container; specifically, to place (a deceased person's body) in a coffin; to coffin, to encoffin.
Word at a Glance
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (Roman Catholicism, also figurative) A small, usually round container used to hold the host ("consecrated bread or wafer of the Eucharist"), especially when bringing communion to the sick or others unable to attend Mass.
Used this way, pyx is a reasonably familiar word with a faintly unfavourable edge. It stays understated rather than dramatic. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Slightly negative
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Mild
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Critical or judgemental
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A chest in which coins from the mint are held to await assay.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.