linguine

noun

lin·​gui·​ne liŋ-ˈgwē-nē 

variants or linguini

: narrow flat pasta

Did you know?

The modern language closest to Latin is Italian, and the Italian word linguine means literally "little tongues". Linguine is only one of the types of pasta whose names describes their shapes. Others include spaghetti ("little strings"), fettuccine ("little ribbons"), penne ("little quills"), orzo ("barley"), farfalle ("butterflies"), vermicelli ("little worms"), capellini ("little hairs"), fusilli ("little spindles"), and radiatori ("little radiators"). If you're thinking about learning Italian, you could make a good start by just visiting an Italian restaurant.

Examples of linguine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The restaurant’s summer food specials go all-in on seafood, including a buttery, tomato-forward crab bisque ($14) and a Neapolitan linguine alla vongole ($32) featuring a generous serving of clams over pasta. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025

Using all things fresh—fresh cherry tomatoes, fresh herb pesto, and fresh mozzarella cheese—this dish features tender linguine and no-fuss shredded chicken. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2025

Think of it as the Cantonese version of linguine and clam sauce. —Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 5 Aug. 2025

Habit-forming chicken Francese over linguine is perfectly egg-battered, strikingly lemony and delightfully buttery. —Andy Wang, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian, plural of linguina, diminutive of lingua tongue, from Latin

First Known Use

circa 1948, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for linguine

• beanie
• genie
• sweeney
• sweeny
• teeny
• acini
• aldine
• arsine
• carinii
• cosine
• delphine
• domine