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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
Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
Some of the first-course menu options include gazpacho, croquettes, sushi and calamari.
—Marcus D. Smith, Sacbee.com, 22 June 2025
Seafood Spaghetti At 1212 Santa Monica in California, seafood spaghetti pairs homemade noodles with rich marinara sauce and a medley of fresh seafood, including clams, mussels, prawns, and calamari.
—Kaila Yu, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Additional summer dishes include a sicilian seafood salad with calamari, octopus, scungilli, clams, shrimp, and mussels; and steak pizzaiola with aged ribeye topped with Sunday sauce, oregano, heirloom tomatoes, and carmelized onions.
—Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Calamari.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calamari. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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calamari
noun
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