chalice
(ˈtʃælɪs)
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. Ps. 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 Shakes. 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, ᵹif 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 1800 K. White Nelsoni Mors 18 Tho' 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 ᵹenam 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 Pars. 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 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,
chalice-cup,
† chalice-piece,
chalice-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..ditch banckes. 1679 Plot Staffordsh. (1686) 199 Scarlet-headed Cup or Chalice-Moss. |
| 1443 Test. Ebor. (1836) I. 132 A *chalespece of silver round covered. |