Konx Ompax
Preserved but no longer current.
The words of dismissal in the Eleusiman Mysteries. Konx is the sound made by a pebble as it falls into the voting urn; ompax is a compound of two words meaning like or resembling, and the Latin pax (Ital. bastd) an exclamation of dismissal, signifying that the proceedings have come to an end.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Konx Ompax” mean?
The words of dismissal in the Eleusiman Mysteries. Konx is the sound made by a pebble as it falls into the voting urn; ompax is a compound of two words meaning like or resembling, and the Latin pax (Ital. bastd) an exclamation of dismissal, signifying that the proceedings have come to an end.
Is “Konx Ompax” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.