urae

Urae is a term that appears in several distinct contexts, and there is no single, widely accepted definition. The most prominent association is with uraeus, the upright cobra symbol in ancient Egyptian iconography.

The uraeus is a protective emblem frequently depicted on the pharaohs' headdresses and crowns, representing Wadjet, the cobra goddess. In scholarly and popular texts, the plural form of this symbol is commonly rendered uraei; some transliterations and older sources use urae. Because English usage varies, encountering urae may reflect transliteration choices rather than a separate concept.

Beyond Egyptology, urae is seldom used as a stand-alone term. When it appears, it is typically as a morphological plural ending (the feminine plural -ae in Latin) or as part of a proper noun or technical identifier, rather than a distinct concept with its own definition.

See also: uraeus, Wadjet.