calamari

American

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

noun

Cooking.

squid.

calamari British

/ ˌkæləˈmɑːrɪ /

noun

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

"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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

Immediately pull out the colander and dump the calamari into a bowl of ice.

From Salon • Dec. 19, 2023

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

From Science Daily • Nov. 20, 2023

I love the kale salad with the pomegranate seeds and no nuts, calamari, the cacio e pepe pasta, and I’m drinking some red wine.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2023

The boys began listing off every item on the menu, including the calamari, until Toby told them it was squid.

From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023