calamus
Americannoun
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calami
plural
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the sweet flag, Acorus calamus.
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its aromatic root.
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any of various tropical Asian palms of the genus Calamus, some of which are a source of rattan.
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the hollow base of a feather; a quill.
noun
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any tropical Asian palm of the genus Calamus, some species of which are a source of rattan and canes
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another name for sweet flag
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the aromatic root of the sweet flag
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ornithol the basal hollow shaft of a feather; quill
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of calamus
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek kálamos reed, stalk
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.
See Examples For:
In the garden grow "an orchard of pomegranates . . . spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense".
From The Guardian ● Jan. 29, 2011
"This," she explained, "is some calamus root that I raised and dried myself, and I hope it comes in handy whenever you ladies need something for the indigestion."
From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves Georgia Narratives, Part 4 by Work Projects Administration
The odours of calamus and myrrh and camphor from strange continents mingled with the faint perfume of the dried rose leaves and the scent-bags of English lavender.
From The Bow of Orange Ribbon A Romance of New York by Theo. Hampe
Garlic, calamus aromaticus, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, each, 1 drachm.
From The Art of Perfumery And Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants by George William Septimus Piesse
These were calamus, bloodroot, snakeroot, slippery elm, tansy, and scores that I do not remember the names of.
From The Life of Mrs. Robert Louis Stevenson by Nellie Van de Grift Sanchez
In providing copy for a work of six volumes, each of about 1000 pages, it was but natural that lapsus calami should occur from time to time.
From My Autobiography A Fragment by F. Max (Friedrich Max) Müller
This should be Fort Clark, not Fort Leavenworth—an evident lapsus calami.
From Travels in the Interior of North America, Part I, (Being Chapters I-XV of the London Edition, 1843) Early Western Travels, 1748-1846, Volume XXII by Alexander Philipp Maximilian
I think this must have been a lapsus calami on Voltaire's part, because it is unlikely that he would have invented such a story.
From The Koran (Al-Qur'an) by George Sale
This contains "oleum calami," and the bitter principle "acorin."
From Herbal Simples Approved for Modern Uses of Cure by William Thomas Fernie
The artist is a sort of impassioned proof-reader, blue-pencilling the lapsus calami of God.
From Damn! A Book of Calumny by H. L. (Henry Louis) Mencken
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