Definition

Noun: 1. A container for Eucharistic wafers: A small, often ornate box or receptacle used in Christian churches to hold the consecrated bread (wafers) for the Eucharist, especially for distribution to the sick or for reservation. 2. A chest for holding coins for assay: A secure box or chest used in a mint to hold newly minted coins until they are officially tested (assayed) for weight and purity.

Usage Examples

• As a container for Eucharistic wafers:
  • The priest carefully placed the consecrated host in the pix before taking it to the hospital.
  • The golden pix was kept on the altar.
• As a chest for coins:
  • The newly minted sovereigns were stored in the pix to await the official assay.
  • The assay master unlocked the pix to test the coinage.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in historical or highly specific liturgical or numismatic (coin-related) contexts. In modern general usage, it is a rare and specialized word.
• The plural form is pixes or, less commonly, pices.

Variants and Related Words

• Pyx (noun): This is the more common and standard spelling for both meanings.
• Pyxis (noun): In historical contexts, this can refer to a small box or casket, often from antiquity. In botany, it refers to a type of seed capsule.
• Ciborium (noun): A related liturgical vessel, typically a covered cup, used to hold the consecrated hosts for distribution during Communion, as opposed to a pix/pyx which is often for reservation or transport.

Synonyms

• For the liturgical sense: Sacrament box, host box, reservation pyx.
• For the numismatic sense: Assay chest, coin chest, strongbox.

Notes on Different Meanings

The two primary meanings of pix are distinct and belong to different specialized fields (religion and coin minting). They are connected by the core idea of a secure, designated container for valuable items (sacred wafers or coins). Context always makes clear which meaning is intended.

Noun

1. any receptacle in which wafers for the Eucharist are kept
2. a chest in which coins from the mint are held to await assay