Caduceus

caduceus /ca·du·ce·us/ (kah-doo´shus) [L.] the wand of Hermes or Mercury; used as a symbol of the medical profession and as the emblem of the Medical Corps of the U.S. Army. See also staff of Aesculapius.

Caduceus. (A), United States Army Medical Corps; (B), American Veterinary Medicine Association.

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ca·du·ce·us (k-ds-s, -shs)

n. pl. ca·du·ce·i (-s-)

1. A winged staff with two serpents twined around it, carried by Hermes.

2. An insignia modeled on Hermes' staff and used as the symbol of the medical profession.

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Caduceus

The ancient and universal symbol of medicine consisting of the winged staff of Mercury and two intertwining serpents.

Mentioned in: Polarity Therapy

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caduceus

the wand of Hermes or Mercury consisting of a winged staff with two serpents entwined; used as a symbol of the medical profession and as the emblem of most military Medical Corps. Another symbol of medicine is the staff of Æsculapius, which is the official insignia of the American Medical Association. The American Veterinary Medical Association uses a modification of the caduceus as an emblem. The staff is unwinged, there is a single serpent instead of two, and a large V is imprinted over the whole.

An adaptation of the caduceus, with only one snake winding itself around the staff is the emblem of the Veterinary Corps of the US Army.