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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
Kansas City Star, 10 Dec. 2025
Try the local oysters from the raw bar, taste the fried calamari, and don't even think about skipping the signature Hummingbird Cake.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 4 Dec. 2025
Starters include Pulpo alla Gallega, which is octopus with potato purée and tomatoes; fried calamari, and thinly sliced Fassona beef carpaccio.
—Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 1 Dec. 2025
The calamari, handmade pappardelle with Bolognese, and bold red Italian wine matched the caliber of the design (and made my ride back down the mountain all the more thrilling).
—Jess Feldman, Travel + Leisure, 16 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Calamari.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calamari. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.
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calamari
noun
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