calyx

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The outermost whorl of flower parts, comprising the sepals, which covers and protects the petals as they develop.
  2. Any of various cup-like structures.
  3. A chamber in the mammalian kidney through which urine passes.
  4. The crown containing the viscera of crinoids and similar echinoderms, entoprocts, and the polyps of some cnidarians.
  5. A funnel-shaped expansion of the vas deferens or oviduct of insects.
  6. A flattened cap of neuropil in the brain of insects.

Pronunciation

/ˈkæ.lɪks/ /ˈkeɪ.lɪks/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-calyx.wav

Word forms

calyx calyces calyxes calix

Etymology

From Latin calyx, from Ancient Greek κάλυξ (kálux, “case of a bud, husk”). Doublet of chalice and kelch.

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