Pyxis

Meaning

1. A nautical compass.
2. A spring constellation of the southern sky, said to resemble the compass of a ship. It is associated with the larger Argo Navis, although it was never officially part of that constellation.
3. acetabulum.
4. The box in which ashes are stored for Ash Wednesday.
5. A capsule in which the lid separates from the top of the fruit to release the seeds.
6. A small box.

Etymology / origin

Named by the French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille in 1763, and originally called Pyxis Nautica (“nautical compass”), from Latin pyxis (“little box”).

Sources

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