n.
Pronunciation: ' piks
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Medieval Latin pyxis, from Latin, box, from Greek, from pyxos box (shrub)
Date: 15th century
1 : a container for the reserved host especially : a small round metal receptacle used to carry the Eucharist to the sick
2 : a box used in a mint for deposit of sample coins reserved for testing weight and fineness