Etymology
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chalice (n.)

"drinking-cup or bowl," early 14c., from Anglo-French chalice, from Old French chalice, collateral form of calice (Modern French calice), from Latin calicem (nominative calix) "cup," similar to, and perhaps cognate with, Greek kylix "cup, drinking cup, cup of a flower," but they might both be loan-words from the same non-IE language. Old English had it as cælic, an ecclesiastical borrowing of the Latin word, and earlier Middle English caliz is from Old North French.

Entries linking to chalice

calice (n.)

early and more etymologically correct form of chalice (q.v.).

calyx (n.)

"outer part of the perianth of a flower," 1680s, from Latin calyx, from Greek kalyx "seed pod, husk, outer covering" (of a fruit, flower bud, etc.), from stem of kalyptein "to cover, conceal," from PIE root *kel- (1) "to cover, conceal, save." The Latin plural is calyces. Some sources connect the word rather with Greek kylix "drinking cup" (see chalice).

kylix (n.)

"elegant cup or vase for drinking" (usually broad and shallow, with handles), 1873 (earlier in German), from Greek kylix "cup," which is similar to Latin calix "deep bowl, cup" (see chalice).

updated on November 20, 2022

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Dictionary entries near chalice

chalazion

Chalcedon

chalcedony

Chaldean

chalet

chalice

chalk

chalkboard

chalk-mark

chalky

challah

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