staff of Asclepius
noun phrase
staff of As·cle·pi·us -ˌa-ˈsklē-pē-əs 
variants or staff of Aesculapius
-ˌe-skyə-ˈlā-pē-əs
: a conventionalized representation of a staff branched at the top with a single snake twined around it that is used as a symbol of medicine and as the official insignia of the American Medical Association
called also rod of Asclepius, rod of Aesculapius
compare caduceus sense 2a
Word History
Etymology
after Aesculapius, Greco-Roman god of medicine, from Latin, from Greek Asklēpios
First Known Use
1814, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
staff of Asclepius
noun
staff of As·cle·pi·us -ˌa-ˈsklē-pē-əs
variants or staff of Aesculapius
-ˌes-kyə-ˈlā-pē-əs
: a conventionalized representation of a staff branched at the top with a single snake twined around it that is used as a symbol of medicine and as the official insignia of the American Medical Association
called also rod of Asclepius, rod of Aesculapius
compare caduceus sense a