1. A small ornamental or ceremonial container, typically cylindrical, used to hold sacred objects or precious items.
Usage: Often used in religious or historical contexts.; Plural: pyxides or pyxises.
2. In botany, a seed capsule that opens by a lid or cap.
Usage: Technical botanical term.
3. A constellation in the southern sky, also called the Compass.
Usage: Astronomy; proper noun when referring to the specific constellation.

Examples

• The priest kept the Eucharist in a small golden pyxis on the altar.
• Medieval churches often displayed ornate pyxides containing relics.
• The plant's pyxis splits open when the seeds are mature.
• Astronomers can locate Pyxis in the night sky near Puppis and Hydra.
• The museum's collection included several ancient Roman pyxises made of marble.