alectoria
1 of 2noun (1)
al·ec·to·ria
ˌa-lək-ˈtȯr-ē-ə
variants or allectory or alectorian or alectorius
ə-ˈlek-tə-rē
ˌa-lək-ˈtȯr-ē-ən
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 2noun (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