calamari

noun

cal·​a·​mari ˌkä-lə-ˈmär-ē How to pronounce calamari (audio)
ˈka-lə-ˌmer-ē
: squid used as food

Did you know?

The word calamari was borrowed into English from 17th-century Italian, where it functioned as the plural of "calamaro" or "calamaio." The Italian word, in turn, comes from the Medieval Latin noun calamarium, meaning "ink pot or "pen case," and can be ultimately traced back to Latin calamus, meaning "reed pen." The transition from pens and ink to squid is not surprising, given the inky substance that a squid ejects and the long tapered shape of the squid's body. English speakers have also adopted "calamus" itself as a word referring to both a reed pen and to a number of plants.

Examples of calamari in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And Lorenzo, who is, uh, the son of the owner, goes out every morning at 4:00 AM to catch calamari. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2024 His salt-and-pepper take is inspired by Chinese calamari, and the lemon myrtle salt is a traditional Australian spice. Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 16 Jan. 2024 But there’s an array of noodle soups to choose from, including a generous seafood pho ($14.99) boasting a clear, flavorful broth with calamari, seafood balls and imitation crab and shrimp atop a bed of rice noodles. Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2024 Beef cheeks with pappardelle or squid ink linguine with calamari? Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023 The couple have been together since meeting in 2005, and decided to take the next step after proposing to one another over a plate of calamari in 2022. Shania Russell, EW.com, 10 Sep. 2023 Where to watch, eat & drink during Super Bowl 2013… Area 31 is showing the game inside & outside and pairing it with $5 well cocktails, wine and Prosecco and $6 bar bites like rock shrimp ceviche, fish fry (calamari, rock shrimp, white fish), and chorizo potato croquettas. Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 The noodles are wide and flat and nestle a bounty of springy fish balls, perfectly cooked calamari and whole shrimp. Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2024 La Piscine by Jean-Georges Vongerichten serves divine salads, pizza and calamari by the pool. Lucy Alexander, Robb Report, 14 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'calamari.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Italian, plural of calamaro, calamaio, from Medieval Latin calamarium ink pot, from Latin calamus; from the inky substance the squid secretes

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of calamari was in 1826

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near calamari

Cite this Entry

“Calamari.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calamari. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

calamari

noun
cal·​a·​mari ˌkä-lə-ˈmär-ē How to pronounce calamari (audio)
: squid used as food

More from Merriam-Webster on calamari

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!