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The word calamari was borrowed into English from 17th-century Italian, where it functioned as the plural of "calamaro" or "calamaio." The Italian word, in turn, comes from the Medieval Latin noun calamarium, meaning "ink pot or "pen case," and can be ultimately traced back to Latin calamus, meaning "reed pen." The transition from pens and ink to squid is not surprising, given the inky substance that a squid ejects and the long tapered shape of the squid's body. English speakers have also adopted "calamus" itself as a word referring to both a reed pen and to a number of plants.
Examples of calamari in a Sentence
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
All the sauces are distinctive: the tartar sauce, a house remoulade, an Anchor sauce for chicken tenders and wings or a house Thai chili sauce that comes on the (too chewy) calamari.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2025
Harris confirmed the restaurant’s famous deck will offer a truncated menu — and no brunch service — but that visitors can still expect classics like calamari, burgers and Bloody Marys.
—Karla Marie Sanford, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025
As for food, burgers are out, teriyaki rice bowls, calamari and Moroccan street food wraps are in.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 20 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Calamari.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calamari. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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calamari
noun
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