Hygieia

Part of speech: proper noun

Definitions

1. A figure from Greek mythology representing health and cleanliness, often depicted as a goddess who promotes physical well-being and hygiene
2. Symbolizing the personification of health, she is associated with medicinal practices and the prevention of illness
3. Representing the ideal of health and sanitation, this mythological figure embodies the principles of wellness and the importance of hygiene in daily life

Etymology: Hygieia was the Greek goddess of health, and her name is simply the Greek word for health, "hugieia," which comes from "hugies," meaning healthy or sound. Her name was a quality before it was a deity: the same noun that described a healthy body was personified as a goddess who could be invoked for it. Hygieia was usually shown as a daughter of Asklepios, the god of medicine, and she often appears beside him holding a bowl from which a serpent drinks, an image that became a standard emblem of pharmacy and medicine. The English word "hygiene" descends from the same Greek adjective, borrowed through French and Latin forms in the modern period. The name's modern life is mostly in the adjective "hygienic" and the noun "hygiene," which carry her meaning of sound health into the sense of cleanliness and the prevention of disease.

Synonyms: health goddess, Hygiea