1. Plural of calicle; small cup-shaped structures or cavities, especially in zoology and botany.
Usage: technical; biology
2. In coral and some marine organisms, small cup-like skeletal structures that house individual polyps.
Usage: zoology; marine biology

Examples

• The coral colony displayed numerous calicles arranged in a regular pattern.
• Under the microscope, the calicles of the bryozoan were clearly visible.
• Each polyp occupies its own calicle within the colonial structure.
• The fossilized calicles provided evidence of the ancient reef ecosystem.
• Botanists examined the calicles at the base of the flower to understand its structure.