calamus
Americannoun
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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
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.
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
Bromfield, Dr., sterility of the ivy and Acorus calamus, ii.
From The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, Volume II (of 2) by Darwin, Charles
Originally the calamus grew in a limited area and was difficult to obtain.
From Construction Work for Rural and Elementary Schools by McGaw, Virginia
The scummy pond sleeps lazily, Clad thick with lilies, and the bee Reels boisterous as a Bassarid Above the bloated green frog hid In lush wan calamus and grass, Beside the water's stagnant glass.
From Blooms of the Berry by Cawein, Madison J.
Calumet is an Old Norman word for chalumeau, reed, pipe, a diminutive from Lat. calamus.
From The Romance of Words (4th ed.) by Weekley, Ernest
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
