[pax] n [ME, fr. ML, fr. L, peace--more at peace] (14c) 1: a tablet decorated with a sacred figure (as of Christ) and sometimes ceremonially kissed by participants at mass
2: the kiss of peace in the Mass
3: peace; esp, cap: a period of general stability in international affairs under the influence of a dominant military power--usu. used in combination with a latinized name "Pax Americana"