What does the Latin word 'rex' mean?

The Latin word 'rex' means "king", "ruler" or "monarch". 'Rex' is one of many Latin words that continue to be used in the English language.

Mostly, 'rex' is used as a taxonomic suffix in the names of large animals, such as the 'German Rex', a cat, the 'Balaeniceps Rex', a bird also known as a shoebill, and the 'Tyrannosaurus Rex', a dinosaur. In these instances, the word 'rex' indicates the size of the animal.

In official documents, the term 'rex' may come after the name of a king, and the word 'regina' after a queen. An example of this is the Ancient Greek tragedy 'Oedipus Rex' by Sophocles, which translates as "King Oedipus". Another example is 'Iācōbus Rēx Scōtōrum', which translates as "King James of Scotland".