calamari

[ kal-uh-mahr-ee, kah-luh-; Italian kah-lah-mah-ree ]

/ ˌkæl əˈmɑr i, ˌkɑ lə-; Italian ˌkɑ lɑˈmɑ ri /

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noun Italian Cooking.

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Origin of calamari

<Italian, plural of calamaro, calamaio, (for pesce calamaio) <Late Latin calamārium inkhorn, pen case (referring to the ink ejected by the squid), Latin calamārius pertaining to a pen; see calamus, -ary

Words nearby calamari

Calakmul, calalu, Calama, calamanco, calamander, calamari, calamary, calamata olive, Calamian Islands, calamine, calamine brass

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use calamari in a sentence

Indeed, what looks like grains of rice is in fact minced calamari.
L’Ardente, an Italian stunner, combines fun and finesse|Tom Sietsema|October 29, 2021|Washington Post
The chef’s preferred ceviche is mine as well, the “mixto” bringing together raw corvina, tuna, shrimp, fried calamari and leche de tigre, the spicy, citrusy “tiger’s milk” that lightly cures the seafood and electrifies the salad.
El Secreto de Rosita seasons its pan-Latin menu with charms galore|Tom Sietsema|October 8, 2021|Washington Post
The single best starter is a plate of calamari, sprinkled with semolina and fried to a fine crunch.
2021 Fall Dining Guide|Tom Sietsema|October 6, 2021|Washington Post
Half is not enough of the creamy risotto, to which a heaping spoon of lemon zest and olive oil is added just before it leaves the kitchen with a topper of wild calamari, zesty with espelette pepper.
Tosca returns to business downtown with a fresh look and new chef|Tom Sietsema|June 4, 2021|Washington Post

The nation that once revered him threatened to chop him up and fry him into calamari.
The Amazing Tale of Paul the Psychic Octopus: Germany’s World Cup Soothsayer|Emily Shire|July 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"Yeah, it is ambitious," Sayles shrugs, picking at a calamari salad with his fingers.
John Sayles Declares His Independence|Ben Crair|May 9, 2011|DAILY BEAST
One of the most memorable dishes I have had there is Baby calamari filled with calamari ink, fresh chick peas and chorizo.
Fresh Picks|The Daily Beast|June 22, 2010|DAILY BEAST
It is a dish that I love but have never been able to recreate properly because we just cannot get calamari that small over here.
Fresh Picks|The Daily Beast|June 22, 2010|DAILY BEAST
This recipe calls for calamari on the grill, a method that brings out the sweet tenderness of the small cephalopods.
What to Eat|Cookstr.com|August 25, 2009|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for calamari

calamari

/ (ˌkæləˈmɑːrɪ) /

noun

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

Word Origin for calamari

C20: from Italian, pl of calamaro squid, from Latin calamarium pen-case, referring to the squid's internal shell, from Greek kalamos reed

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012