calamus

[kal-uh-muh s]

See more synonyms for calamus on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural cal·a·mi

[kal-uh-mahy] /ˈkæl əˌmaɪ/.

the sweet flag, Acorus calamus.
its aromatic root.
any of various tropical Asian palms of the genus Calamus, some of which are a source of rattan.

the hollow base of a feather; a quill.

Origin of calamus

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek kálamos reed, stalk

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for calamus

plume, fringe, plumage, shaft, fluff, crest, down, spike, fin, wing, calamus, pompon, pinna, plumule, quill, pinion, penna

Examples from the Web for calamus

Historical Examples of calamus

One of the genus Calamus, used for wicker-work, seats of chairs, &c.
The Sailor's Word-Book
William Henry Smyth
Calamus, also derived from the Greek, means a reed or reed-like plant.
Birds and Nature Vol. 11 No. 4 [April 1902]
Various
Sin-skuskba, which some Ponkas said was the calamus, is now very rare.
Omaha sociology (1884 N 03 / 1881-1882 (pages 205-370))
James Owen Dorsey
It resembles sweet-flag (Calamus) and has been mistaken for it.
Ginseng and Other Medicinal Plants
A. R. (Arthur Robert) Harding
Walt was thirty-six when Leaves appeared; forty-one when Calamus was written.
Ivory Apes and Peacocks
James Huneker

British Dictionary definitions for calamus

calamus

noun plural -mi (-ˌmaɪ)

any tropical Asian palm of the genus Calamus, some species of which are a source of rattan and canes
another name for sweet flag
the aromatic root of the sweet flag
ornithol the basal hollow shaft of a feather; quill

Word Origin for calamus

C14: from Latin, from Greek kalamos reed, cane, stem

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