squid

[ skwid ]

/ skwɪd /

Save This Word!

noun, plural (especially collectively) squid, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) squids.

any of several ten-armed cephalopods, as of the genera Loligo and Ommastrephes, having a slender body and a pair of rounded or triangular caudal fins and varying in length from 4–6 inches (10–15 centimeters) to 60–80 feet (18–24 meters).

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"

"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of squid

First recorded in 1605–15; origin uncertain

Words nearby squid

squelch, squeteague, squib, Squibb, squib kick, squid, squidgy, squiffed, squiffy, squiggle, squilgee

Other definitions for squid (2 of 2)

SQUID

[ skwid ]

/ skwɪd /

noun

superconducting quantum interference device: a device that senses minute changes in magnetic fields, used to indicate neural activity in the brain.

Origin of SQUID

First recorded in 1965–70

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use squid in a sentence

But now I see them as the giant vampire squid, the enemy of the independent bookstore.
Amazon Won’t Kill the Indie Bookstore|Bill Morris|July 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For seafood try Clamman in Southhampton, proudly peddling tuna, bass, scallops, and squid all caught by local fishermen.
The Hamptons Hot List: Where to Eat, What to Drink, and How to Get Your Beach on This Summer|Brandon Presser|May 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The 2008 financial crisis is usually attributed to vampire squid greed.
What’s Behind the Obamacare Cock-Up|Tina Brown|October 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Kraken: The symbol of House Greyjoy of the Iron Islands, a giant squid in gold on a black field.
‘Game of Thrones’ Season 2 for Dummies|Jace Lacob|March 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST

I, like many others, enjoy referring to the firm as “Vampire Squid.”
Goldman Sachs Executive Quits in a New York Times Piece, Did He Just Realize What Goldman Does?|Tunku Varadarajan|March 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Delancy caught it with one arm and a belly and passed it back through the door to Squid Murphy who was standing just outside.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
He was twisted around in the front seat, looking over the heads of Squid Murphy and the two other gunsels in the back seat.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
His gloved fingers closed on Squid Murphy and the killer called Shiv simultaneously.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
He cleared the roped guard and the two fallen hoods, landed lightly on the balls of his feet within a yard of Squid Murphy.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
Isn't that Squid Murphy over there in the corner, trying to disguise himself as a corner of that safe?
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various

British Dictionary definitions for squid (1 of 3)

squid¹

/ (skwɪd) /

noun plural squid or squids

any of various fast-moving pelagic cephalopod molluscs of the genera Loligo, Ommastrephes, etc, of most seas, having a torpedo-shaped body ranging from about 10 centimetres to 16.5 metres long and a pair of triangular tail fins: order Decapoda (decapods)See also cuttlefish

verb squids, squidding or squidded

(intr) (of a parachute) to assume an elongated squidlike shape owing to excess air pressure

Word Origin for squid

C17: of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for squid (2 of 3)

squid²

/ (skwɪd) /

noun

British slang a pound sterling

Word Origin for squid

C20: rhyming slang for quid

British Dictionary definitions for squid (3 of 3)

SQUID

abbreviation for

superconducting quantum interference device

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