calamus

American  

[kal-uh-muhs] / ˈkæl ə məs /

noun

plural

calami

1. the sweet flag, Acorus calamus.

2. its aromatic root.

3. any of various tropical Asian palms of the genus Calamus, some of which are a source of rattan.

4. the hollow base of a feather; a quill.

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calamus British  

/ ˈkæləməs /

noun

1. any tropical Asian palm of the genus Calamus, some species of which are a source of rattan and canes

2. another name for sweet flag

3. the aromatic root of the sweet flag

4. ornithol the basal hollow shaft of a feather; quill

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Etymology

Origin of calamus

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

Example Sentences

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

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.

The instrument used for writing was a reed, sharpened and split at the point, like our pens, called calamus.

From Roman Antiquities, and Ancient Mythology For Classical Schools (2nd ed) by Dillaway, Charles K.

Cane, kān, n. the stem of one of the smaller palms—the calamus or rattan, or the larger grasses—bamboo and sugar-cane: a walking-stick.—v.t. to beat with a cane.—ns.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various

It is recognized by converging fibres which look like a pen, and are therefore called the calamus scriptorius, or writer’s pen.

From Buchanan's Journal of Man, May 1887 Volume 1, Number 4 by Buchanan, Joseph R. (Joseph Rodes)

Related Words

• fringe
• plume