Word of the Day + Quiz | chalice

chalice • \ˈcha-ləs\ • noun

: a bowl-shaped drinking vessel; especially the Eucharistic cup


The word chalice has appeared in 27 New York Times articles in the past year, including on Nov. 26 in “Pope Francis, in Kenya, Delivers Message of Humility” by Jeffrey Gettleman:

NAIROBI, Kenya — Remember the poor. Respect the youth. Protect the unborn.

That was Pope Francis’ message on Thursday to hundreds of thousands of Kenyans who gathered for a rain-soaked Mass, their open umbrellas spread tip to tip, their feet sinking into the mud.

… The Mass was dominated by Catholic rituals, such as the pope sipping from a large golden chalice, but it had an unmistakably Kenyan flair. Priests banged on giant bongo drums with their bare hands and even Kenya’s president, Uhuru Kenyatta, an observant Catholic, was getting into the music and bobbing his head to the beat as he waited for the pope’s homily.


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