/ ˈkeɪlɪks; NAmE / noun
( pl. ca·lyxes or ca·ly·ces / ˈkeɪlɪsiːz; NAmE /) ( technical ) the ring of small green leaves (called sepals ) that protect a flower before it opens
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WORD ORIGIN
late 17th cent.: from Latin , from Greek kalux case of a bud, husk, related to kaluptein to hide.