Spica
/ˈspaɪ.kə/noun
The brightest star in the constellation Virgo, and the name of the star's traditional Latin designation.
Did you know?Spica comes from Latin spīca, “ear of grain,” because the star was imagined as the wheat held by Virgo, linking astronomy to ancient fertility and harvest symbolism.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*speik-
“to point, to pierce”
Latin
Latin
spīca
“ear of grain; spike, point”
Late Latin
Latin
Spica
“the star Spica in Virgo”
Middle English
English
spike
“a sharp point or slender pointed object”
Modern English
English
Spica
“the brightest star in Virgo”