Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

crux simplex

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.71 in modern English

Syllables
crux sim-plex
IPA
31
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
2
Syllables
10
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A single beam or pole without a cross bar for executions.

noun

The simple pole or stake with which in the Roman Empire common criminals were executed either by being impaled with it or being attached to it, typically with the feet resting on a block to avoid a rapid death by asphyxia and using, for economy, only one nail through the hands (below the palm).

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Latin; specifically, Medieval Latin, as this collocation to name the pole used by the ancient Romans comes from Justus Lipsius (1547–1606) rather than from their own use of Latin (Classical Latin).

Inflected Forms

cruces simplices (plural)

Phrases

crux ansata crux decussata crux gammata crux immissa

Frequently Paired Words

crux ansata crux decussata crux gammata crux immissa cross crucifix crux ordinaria gallows

Questions

What does crux simplex mean?
A single beam or pole without a cross bar for executions.
Where does crux simplex come from?
Unadapted borrowing from Latin; specifically, Medieval Latin, as this collocation to name the pole used by the ancient Romans comes from Justus Lipsius (1547–1606) rather than from their own use of Latin (Classical Latin).

How to pronounce crux simplex

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