Forms: α. 1 cel(i)c, cælc, cælic, 1–3 calic, 2 calc, 3 calch; β. 3 caliz, calis, 4 calice; γ. 4–6 chalis, -ys, -yce, 4– chalice, (5 chaleys, 5–6 chales, 6 challes, -is, -ece, -yce, chalesse, chalays, -eis, chaliche, chailles, calles, 7 challice). [L. calix, calic-em cup, has appeared in Eng. in various forms. (1) Early OE. cęlic, genitive cęlces, corresp. to OS. kelik (MDu. kelec, kelc, Du. kelk), OHG. kelihh, chelih (MHG. and mod.G. kelch):—WGer. *kalik, an early (pre-Christian) adoption of L. calic-em. (2) The Latin word was re-adopted in later OE., in Christian use, as calic, cælic, cælc, whence early ME. calc, calch (cf. ON. kalk-r). (3) These were ousted in 12th c. by the OF. caliz, calice. (4) Before 1350 this was in turn ousted by a central OF. form chalice, which gave Eng. chalis, chalice. While this was the case in English, in France itself calice was the form which came down to modern French. (OF. caliz, calice was of learned origin, but early enough to undergo the phonetic change to chalice in central F.; in the struggle between the two forms, the influence of L. calix, familiar in ecclesiastical use, was effective in making calice the ultimate victor.) Strictly, cel(i)c, calch, calice, chalice, are separate words; but their relations are best seen by treating them together.]
1. A drinking-cup or goblet. (Now only in poetic or elevated language.)
α. c. 825. Vesp. Psalter xv. 5. Dryhten dael erfewordnisse minre and celces mines [elsewhere calices1, calic2.]
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. x. 42. Cælc vel scenc wætres caldes [c. 975 Rushw. ibid., Cælc fulne wættres galdes].
c. 1000. Ags. Ps. (Thorpe), cxv. 4. Ic her hælu calic hæbbe befangen.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt. xxiii. 26. Þæt wiðinnan ys calicys [v.r. -es] and discys [Hatton G. calices and discas].
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 268. Sele þonne cælic fulne to drincanne.
β. a. 1225. Ancr. R., 284. Þe caliz þet was imelt iðe fure.
γ. 1382. Wyclif, Gen. xl. 13. Thow shalt ȝyue to hym a chalice, after thin office.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 68. Chalys, calix.
1605. Shaks., Macb., I. vii. 11. This euen-handed Iustice Commends th’ Ingredience of our poyson’d Challice To our owne lips.
1648. Herrick, Hesper., Welcome to Sack, 63. Had Cassius … but tasted one Small chalice of thy frantick liquor.
1794. Coleridge, Chatterton, 74. Ah! dash the poisoned chalice from thy hand!
1870. Bryant, Iliad, I. III. 94. With mingled wine they filled a chalice.
b. fig. (mostly with reference to certain scriptural passages: see the quotations.)
α. c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Luke xxii. 42. Fæder, ʓif þu wylt, afyr þysne calic [Vulg. calicem] fram me.
c. 1275. Passion, 158, in O. E. Misc., 41. Of þis ilche calche nv forber þu me.
β. a. 1300. Cursor M., 15633. Quer i sal þis calice drinc, or i sal pass þar-bi.
γ. a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter xv[i]. 5. Lord is part of myn heritage & of my chalice [Vulg. calicis mei].
1382. Wyclif, Isa. li. 17. That thou drunke of the hond of the Lord the chalis of his wrathe.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 16/4. This chalys is the passyon whiche lightly may appropre our lord to the.
c. 1806. H. Kirke White, Nelsoni Mors, 18, Poems (1837), 120. Though from the Muse’s chalice I may pour No precious dews of Aganippe’s well.
1882. W. B. Scott, Poet’s Harv. Home, 83. Life is God’s chalice filled with tears.
2. spec. The cup in which the wine is administered in the celebration of the eucharist.
α. c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt. xxvi. 27. And he ʓenam þone calic þanciende [Lindisf., Hatton calic, Rushw. cælic].
a. 1123. O. E. Chron., an. 1102. Roden and calicen and candel sticcan.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 93. Þenne understonde he þat husel and drinke of þe calice. Ibid., 215. Boc oðer belle calch oðer messe-ref.
β. c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 163. Ðe caliz of tin … and hire nap of mazere.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 418. Þe chirche uestimenz, ne þene caliz.
1297. R. Glouc. (1724), 489. The calis of the weued me ssolde ther to.
c. 1300. Havelok, 187. The caliz, and the pateyn ok.
c. 1340. Ayenb., 41. Þe crouchen, þe calices, þe creyme.
γ. a. 1300. Cursor M., 15237. Siþen þe chalice [Gött. chalis] vp he laght, And blisced als þe win.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pers. T., ¶ 805. This is a fouler thefte than for to breke a chirche and stele the chalice.
1529. Rastell, Pastyme, Hist. Pap. (1811), 54. He was impoysoned by venym put in his chales.
1528. More, Heresyes, I. Wks. 114/2. That proper comparison betwene treen chalices and golden priestes of olde, and nowe golden chalices & treen priestes.
1654. Jer. Taylor, Real Pres., 31. It is … as necessary to drink the chalice as to eat the bread, and we perish if we omit either.
1789. Mrs. Piozzi, Journ. France, I. 368. The lightning melted one of the chalices completely.
1875. W. Smith & Cheetham, Dict. Chr. Antiq., I. 339/2. Pope Leo IV. (847–855) … lays down the rule that no one should celebrate mass in a chalice of wood, lead, or glass.
1881. Goldw. Smith, Lect. & Ess., 47. Bearing the Hussite emblems of the chalice and sword.
3. transf. A flower-cup (cf. CHALICED).
1650. R. Stapylton, Strada’s Low-C. Warres, I. 8. The Lilly suddenly breaking her Challice … began to blow.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., III. ii. The water-lily to the light Her chalice reared of silver bright.
4. Comb., as chalice-cover, -cup, † -piece, -veil; chalice-flower, said to be an old name for the Daffodil; chalice-moss, Cenomyce pyxidata.
1420. E. E. Wills (1882), 46. A stondyng cuppe of seluer y-clepyd a *chales cuppe.
a. 1849. J. C. Mangan, Poems (1859), 54. Sacred Chalice-cup.
1824. H. Phillips, Fl. Historica, I. 99. They were also called Chalice flowers, from the nectary being shaped like the chalice.
1610. W. Folkingham, Art of Survey, I. ii. 38. The *Chalice or Chin-cough Mosse creeps along the barren dry grauelly ditch banckes.
1679. Plot, Staffordsh. (1686), 199. Beautifull Scarlet-headed Cup or Chalice-Moss, in its flourishing condition, is of an ash-colour.
1443. Test. Ebor. (1836), I. 132. A *chalespece of silver round covered.
