Meaning & use

Aesculapius

proper noun·Advanced

In Greek and Roman mythology, the god of medicine and healing, often shown holding a serpent-entwined staff.

See it in a sentence

The staff of Aesculapius, a single snake coiled around a rod, remains a symbol of medicine today.

Ancient patients traveled to temples of Aesculapius seeking cures for their ailments.

A note on using this word

Aesculapius is also spelled Asclepius; his single-snake staff is often confused with the caduceus, which has two snakes and belongs to Hermes.

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