codices: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, Academic, Technical
Quick answer
What does “codices” mean?
The plural form of 'codex', referring to ancient manuscripts or books, especially handwritten ones from classical or medieval times.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The plural form of 'codex', referring to ancient manuscripts or books, especially handwritten ones from classical or medieval times.
Can refer to any collection of manuscripts, early printed books, or scholarly compilations of texts. In modern contexts, sometimes used metaphorically for foundational or authoritative collections of information.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Both varieties use the Latin plural 'codices' rather than the anglicized 'codexes', which is rare.
Connotations
Identical connotations of antiquity, scholarship, and historical value.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both varieties, confined to academic and specialist discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “codices” in a Sentence
The [ADJ] codices [VERB]...Scholars [VERB] the codices for [NOUN][NOUN] based on the codicesVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “codices” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The team hopes to codices the fragments digitally. (Note: 'codices' as a verb is extremely rare and non-standard; this is a constructed example for the field.)
American English
- The project aims to codices the entire collection. (See note above.)
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverbial form]
American English
- [No standard adverbial form]
adjective
British English
- The codices research unit published its findings. (Attributive noun use)
American English
- She is a leading codices scholar. (Attributive noun use)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Primary context. Used in history, classics, theology, archaeology, and manuscript studies.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Would only appear in documentaries or very specific conversations about history.
Technical
Used in fields like codicology (study of codices), paleography, and archival science.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “codices”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “codices”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “codices”
- Using 'codexes' (though not technically wrong, it is non-standard in academic writing).
- Using it as a singular (e.g., 'a codices').
- Confusing it with 'codes' in the sense of ciphers or programming.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is listed in some dictionaries as a rare variant, but 'codices' is the standard, universally accepted plural in academic and formal English.
A codex is a bound book with pages, while a scroll is a long, rolled document. The codex format, invented in Roman times, eventually replaced the scroll.
Primarily in classical studies, medieval history, theology (especially Biblical studies), archaeology, manuscript conservation (codicology), and the history of the book.
No, it is historically specific. It refers to handwritten manuscript books produced before the widespread use of the printing press, though it can include very early printed works that mimic the manuscript format.
The plural form of 'codex', referring to ancient manuscripts or books, especially handwritten ones from classical or medieval times.
Codices is usually formal, academic, technical in register.
Codices: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkəʊ.dɪ.siːz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkoʊ.də.siːz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms for this specific plural form]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'CODices' are like ancient CODes written in books. The '-ices' ending is like 'indices' or 'appendices' – a Latin plural for scholarly things.
Conceptual Metaphor
CODICES ARE TIME CAPSULES; CODICES ARE FRAGILE VESSELS OF KNOWLEDGE.
Practice
Quiz
What is the singular form of 'codices'?