| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
Medici (ˈmɛdɪtʃɪ, məˈdiːtʃɪ, Italian ˈmɛːditʃi, medisis) ![]() | |
| —n | |
| 1. | an Italian family of bankers, merchants, and rulers of Florence and Tuscany, prominent in Italian political and cultural history in the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries, including |
| 2. | Catherine de' (kaˈtriːn de). See Catherine de' Medici |
| 3. | Cosimo I (ˈkɔːzimo), known as Cosimo the Great. 1519--74, duke of Florence and first grand duke of Tuscany (1569--74) |
| 4. | Cosimo de', known as Cosimo the Elder. 1389--1464, Italian banker, statesman, and patron of arts, who established the political power of the family in Florence (1434) |
| 5. | Giovanni de', (dʒoˈvanni de). See Leo X |
| 6. | Giulio de' (ˈdʒuːljo de). See Clement VII |
| 7. | Lorenzo de' (loˈrɛntso de), known as Lorenzo the Magnificent. 1449--92, Italian statesman, poet, and scholar; ruler of Florence (1469--92) and first patron of Michelangelo |
| 8. | Maria de' (maˈriːa de). See Maria de' Medici |
| Medicean | |
| —adj | |
A family of skilled politicians and patrons of the arts who lived in Florence, Italy, during the Renaissance. (See Lorenzo de Medici.)
Note: The family produced two queens of France: Catherine, in the sixteenth century, and Marie, in the seventeenth.