Ophiuchus
/ˌɒf.iˈjuː.kəs/noun
A large constellation represented as a man holding a serpent, located near the celestial equator.
Did you know?In Greek mythology, Ophiuchus represents Asclepius, the healer who learned to restore the dead, and its serpent became a lasting symbol of medicine.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₁ógʷʰis
“Snake or serpent”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὄφις (óphis)
“Serpent”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὀφιοῦχος (ophioûkhos)
“Serpent-holder; one who holds a snake”
2nd Century
Greek
Ὀφιοῦχος (Ophiûkhos)
“The constellation depicted as a serpent-bearing man, catalogued by Ptolemy”
Latin Antiquity
Latin
Ophiuchus
“The Serpent-bearer, the Latinized constellation name”
Modern English
English
Ophiuchus
“A constellation sometimes described in popular astrology as a thirteenth zodiac sign”