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

On top of that, Rhode Island's Italian community adds to that list with various seafood pastas like linguine with clam sauce, shrimp scampi, and Pasta Nautika (for those who remember it). —Rin Velasco, The Providence Journal, 26 Mar. 2026

Rock-shrimp linguine, for example, might show up at all sorts of restaurants in the city, but Doris infuses Markette’s version with Scotch bonnets, an intensely hot staple of Caribbean cuisine. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2026

Eggplant appears with linguine, tomato and almond pesto, or nestled with capers and golden raisins between ribbons of mafaldine. —Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 11 Feb. 2026

Patrons swear by its braised short ribs, roasted duck, and seafood linguine. —Usa Today Network, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026

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