codex

noun

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co·dex | \ ˈkō-ˌdeks

plural codices\ ˈkō-də-ˌsēz

, ˈkä-

Definition of codex

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

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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 For a certain kind of obsessive magazine nerd, each one is spell book or codex, a key to the deep grammar of the craft. — New York Times, 30 Aug. 2021 Gamers can use a codex, which splits the game collection into seven different categories, and then check the shelves. — Tirion Morris, The Arizona Republic, 24 Mar. 2021 There's a dungeon to conquer or a town to explore or a new codex of spells to master. — Luke Winkie, Star Tribune, 18 Sep. 2020 On turning 18, each of Albert Reimann’s nine children signed a codex, pledging to stay out of Benckiser, the family chemicals business in Ludwigshafen, Germany, and never show their face in public. — The Economist, 20 June 2020 The codex explains that a surface crack measuring 2,800 brazas appeared after the quake. — National Geographic, 11 Oct. 2019 In the beginning might have been the Word, but ever since then the message of Jesus Christ has been adapted to whatever medium was available, from the scroll to the codex and eventually the podcast. — Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2020 That’s why Suárez and his team turned to Aztec codices and the accounts of Spanish missionaries. — National Geographic, 11 Oct. 2019 Within some codices, such glyphs are accompanied by dates. — National Geographic, 11 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'codex.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.