['ke?l?ks, 'ka-]
(also calix)
¦ noun (plural calyces -l?si:z or calyxes)
1. Botany the sepals of a flower, typically forming a whorl that encloses the petals and forms a protective layer around a flower in bud.
2. Zoology a cup-like cavity or structure, in particular part of the pelvis of a mammalian kidney.
Origin
C17: from L., from Gk kalux 'case of a bud, husk', related to kaluptein 'to hide'.