calamari

American  

[kal-uh-mahr-ee, kah-luh-, kah-lah-mah-ree] / ˌkæl əˈmɑr i, ˌkɑ lə-, ˌkɑ lɑˈmɑ ri /

noun

Cooking.

1. squid.

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calamari British  

/ ˌkæləˈmɑːrɪ /

noun

1. squid cooked for eating, esp cut into rings and fried in batter

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Etymology

Origin of calamari

First recorded in 1820–30; from Italian, plural of calamaro, calamaio (short for pesce calamaio ), from Late Latin calamārium “inkhorn, pen case” (referring to the ink ejected by the squid), Latin calamārius “pertaining to a pen”; see calamus, -ary

Example Sentences

Chef and owner Elmer Komagata will add a street food menu at the new location, including gyoza dumplings, fried calamari and takoyaki.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 6, 2024

By the pool, she dials up room service to order a small feast of carpaccio, hummus and calamari; she asks for two beers, as well, though those aren’t for her.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2023

Wild shipworms are eaten in the Philippines -- either raw, or battered and fried like calamari.

From Science Daily • Nov. 20, 2023

My calamari pakoras prove how this riff-able fritter recipe will yield delicious results, no matter how you choose to customize it.

From Salon • Jun. 28, 2023

But when the waitress brought the bill, Allison carefully began to untangle how many drinks each person had ordered and who had the calamari appetizer, to make sure nobody paid for anybody else.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie