alectoria

1 of 2

noun (1)

al·ec·to·ria

ˌa-lək-ˈtȯr-ē-ə

variants or allectory

ə-ˈlek-tə-rē

or alectorian

ˌa-lək-ˈtȯr-ē-ən

or alectorius

ˌa-lək-ˈtȯr-ē-əs

plural alectoriae

ˌa-lək-ˈtȯr-ē-ˌē

or allectories or alectorians or alectorii

ˌa-lək-ˈtȯr-ē-ˌī

: a talismanic stone that is supposedly found in the crop of a cock and is believed to be magical

Alectoria

2 of 2

noun (2)

Al·ec·to·ria

ˌa-lək-ˈtȯr-ē-ə

: a genus of lichens (family Usneaceae) characterized by a dark brown erect or pendulous much-branched thallus of cylindrical form

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

alectoria, allectory from Medieval Latin alectoria, short for Latin alectoria gemma, literally, cock's gem, from alectoria (feminine of alectorius of a cock, from Greek alektōr cock) + gemma gem; alectorian from Latin alectorius + English -an; alectorius from Latin, adjective

Noun (2)

New Latin, from Greek alektōr cock (probably from Alektōr, a name) + New Latin -ia

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1821, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of alectoria was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century