calyx

ca·lyx | \ ˈkā-liks

How to pronounce calyx (audio)

also ˈka- \

plural calyxes or calyces\ ˈkā-lə-ˌsēz

How to pronounce calyces (audio)

also ˈka- \

Definition of calyx

1 : the usually green outer whorl of a flower consisting of separate or fused sepals

2 : a cuplike division of the renal pelvis surrounding one or more renal papillae

3 : a cup-shaped animal structure (such as the body wall of a crinoid)

Examples of calyx in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web It’s late March, some of them beginning to turn and wilt and fade, heads Drooping, papery at the tips, desiccated, or completely gone, reduced to calyx. — Ciaran Carson, The New Yorker, "Claude Monet, “The Artist’s Garden at Vétheuil,” 1880," 12 Aug. 2019 If possible, push the calyx down the stem to reveal a little more of a wire/stem for the bacon roll to sit on. — Fox News, "Chef Mark Bailey's Last-Minute Romantic Valentine's Day Dinner!," 14 Feb. 2018 The calyx encloses the ripe fruit, acting as a protective structure. — Earl Nickel, San Francisco Chronicle, "Versatile evergreen Falkia repens covers a lot of ground," 26 Jan. 2018 This was what hip-hop would sound like if it were conceived inside of the calyx of an African violet, unfurling and wet. — Danielle Jackson, Longreads, "The Mastery and Magic of Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah," 15 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'calyx.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

27 Apr 2020

Cite this Entry

“Calyx.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calyx. Accessed 31 May. 2020.

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