codex

noun

co·dex ˈkō-ˌdeks

plural codices ˈkō-də-ˌsēz

ˈkä-

: a manuscript book especially of Scripture, classics, or ancient annals

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In the 3rd and 4th centuries A.D., the codex began to replace the older scroll as the preferred form for longer writings. Unlike the scroll, this wonderful invention permitted writing on both sides of a sheet, made it easy to locate a particular passage, and could contain a very long piece of writing. Codices (note this unusual plural form) were usually written on parchment, the specially prepared skin of a sheep or goat, or papyrus, the ancestor of paper. Because codices were handwritten, there were few copies of any single codex, and sometimes only a single copy. Today we no longer write our books in longhand, but the modern book has kept basically the same form as the original codices.

Examples of codex in a Sentence

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But going to the codex and looking up the numbers and letters and then the numbers changing would have made quite the impression on the client. —

Elizabeth Djinis, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Oct. 2024 The carbon dating indicated that this was the earliest intact Hebrew codex by more than a century. —

Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 26 Sep. 2024 Facing an unwinnable situation, Venom decides to destroy the codex by sacrificing himself for Eddie and the rest of mankind. —

Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 Collectibles fare a bit better, with a ton of notes and letters to find that flesh out the game’s staggeringly massive codex, sticking to the quippy humor that permeates much of the game. —

Hayes Madsen, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for codex