macaroni

noun

mac·a·ro·ni | \ ˌma-kə-ˈrō-nē

Definition of macaroni

1 : pasta made from semolina and shaped in the form of slender tubes

2 plural macaronis or macaronies [ Macaroni Club, a group of such Englishmen ]

a : a member of a class of traveled young Englishmen of the late 18th and early 19th centuries who affected foreign ways

b : an affected young man : fop

3 : macaroni penguin

Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about macaroni

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Did You Know?

As you may have suspected, the macaroni in the song "Yankee Doodle" is not the familiar food. The feather in Yankee Doodle's cap apparently makes him a macaroni in the now rare "fop" or "dandy" sense. The sense appears to have originated with a club established in London by a group of young, well-traveled Englishmen in the 1760s. The founders prided themselves on their appearance, sense of style, and manners, and they chose the name Macaroni Club to indicate their worldliness. Because macaroni was, at the time, a new and rather exotic food in England, the name was meant to demonstrate how stylish the club's members were. The members were themselves called macaronis, and eventually macaroni became synonymous with dandy and fop.

Examples of macaroni in a Sentence

the glitter rock of the 1970s seemed more about mascaraed macaronis than about music

Recent Examples on the Web

The kids menu offers chicken tenders, macaroni and cheese bites and French fries, among other selections. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "The Dish: Sunday is Father’s Day. Have you made your dinner reservations yet?," 11 June 2019 Franco’s Restaurant & Catering WHAT: Fish, chicken, potatoes, macaroni and cheese, desserts and more. — Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, "Here are 15+ spots around Louisville to grab some grub with Dad for Father's Day," 10 June 2019 Mother’s Day isn’t just for macaroni necklaces this year. — Blake Bakkila, Good Housekeeping, "Kraft Is Here to Save Mother's Day By Covering Your Babysitter Bill This Sunday," 7 May 2019 Kraft Heinz has removed artificial colors from its macaroni and cheese. — Annie Gasparro, WSJ, "Kraft Heinz’s Profit Suffers as Costs Rise," 1 Nov. 2018 It's served with top-notch macaroni and sharp cheese. — Polly Campbell, Cincinnati.com, "Clyborne Provisions and Spirits is a suburban surprise," 27 June 2018 The result is nothing like macaroni and cheese, or like cheesy cauliflower. — Melissa Clark, New York Times, "Mac and Cheese Eats Its Vegetables," 2 Mar. 2018 This recipe for jalapeño popper macaroni and cheese is in the book, too. — Maya Wilson, Anchorage Daily News, "Jalapeno popper macaroni and cheese: A childhood favorite grows up," 15 Feb. 2018 Eating macaroni and cheese was the closest thing this young non-believer had to sin. — Amiel Stanek, Bon Appetit, "A Lactose Intolerant's Guide to Loving Cheese Again," 27 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'macaroni.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for macaroni

borrowed from regional Italian, plural of macarone (Tuscan maccherone) "tubular pasta," earlier also "stuffed pasta of various shapes," probably borrowed from Middle Greek makarṓneia "funeral hymn," later with the presumed meaning "food served at a funeral banquet" (whence Modern Greek dialect makarōniá in this sense), of uncertain origin

Note: Though the Greek origin of Italian macaroni appears likely, many details are unclear. It has been speculated that the word makarṓneia is a blend of makários "blessed" and aiṓnios "eternal" (words perhaps coupled in funeral orations and memorial services), though this etymology is quite tenuous. The development of the food sense is also difficult to explain—perhaps it has developed through association with Greek makaría "dish of broth and barley groats," an apparently ancient word of uncertain origin attested only in the work of the Greek lexicographer Hesychios (5th-6th century a.d.).

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