codex

noun

co·​dex ˈkō-ˌdeks 

plural codices ˈkō-də-ˌsēz  ˈkä- 

: a manuscript book especially of Scripture, classics, or ancient annals

Did you know?

In the 3rd and 4th centuries A.D., the codex began to replace the older scroll as the preferred form for longer writings. Unlike the scroll, this wonderful invention permitted writing on both sides of a sheet, made it easy to locate a particular passage, and could contain a very long piece of writing. Codices (note this unusual plural form) were usually written on parchment, the specially prepared skin of a sheep or goat, or papyrus, the ancestor of paper. Because codices were handwritten, there were few copies of any single codex, and sometimes only a single copy. Today we no longer write our books in longhand, but the modern book has kept basically the same form as the original codices.

Examples of codex in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some codices were small enough to be held in one hand, and Cicero claimed to have seen a copy of the Iliad that fit in a nutshell. —Claudia Roth Pierpont, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024

The codex, easily transportable and containing larger quantities of text, won favor with the rising Christian movement, suiting both its rituals and its experience of persecution. —Claudia Roth Pierpont, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024

As an online source, the codex, initially written in Nahuatl and Spanish, was translated into English. —Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024

Fortunately, in the case of the Codex Atlanticus, the scientific analysis of the spots did not reveal signs of mold or similar microbial activity, and the researchers concluded that the colored spots were the result of mercury salts that had been added to protect the codex from mold growth. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 2 May 2023

Illustrations found throughout the codex are drawn in the traditional Mexica style. —Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024

But based on archaeological findings, experts believe that the ceremony goes as far back as 2,500 years ago; images from a 16th-century codex suggest it may have been associated with human sacrifice. —Leila Miller, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2023

Fragments of codices had been found at centers of the Mayan elite, but never among the peasant class. —Mary Roach, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019

Except, in the codex, many of these homophones were based on Nahuatl words, requiring knowledge of the language to decipher them. —Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Latin — more at code

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

codex

noun

co·​dex ˈkō-ˌdeks 

plural codices ˈkōd-ə-ˌsēz  ˈkäd- 

: an official or standard collection of drug formulas and descriptions

a codex similar to the British Pharmaceutical Codex