spaghetti

noun

spa·​ghet·​ti spə-ˈge-tē 

1

: pasta made in thin solid strings

2

: insulating tubing typically of varnished cloth or of plastic for covering bare wire or holding insulated wires together

spaghettilike

spə-ˈge-tē-ˌlīk 

adjective

Examples of spaghetti in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Over the years, those aforementioned adjustments included making spaghetti bolognese for Harry while his mother enjoyed Sole Florentine, and, sometimes, switching up the menu completely when a friend joined them for lunch at Kensington Palace. —Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 4 Apr. 2026

All your favorite spaghetti ingredients are featured in this easy slow-cooker version. —Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 4 Apr. 2026

The post hosted a spaghetti dinner for some of the sailors, said Keith Shanesy, one of the post's vice commanders. —Steve Walsh, NPR, 3 Apr. 2026

Use ground chicken instead of beef in tacos, spaghetti, and other dishes. —Lindsey Desoto, Health, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from plural of spaghetto, diminutive of spago cord, string, from Late Latin spacus

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing spaghetti

• spaghetti squash
• spaghetti strap
• spaghetti western

Rhymes for spaghetti

• confetti
• libretti
• betty
• chetty
• jetty
• petit
• sweaty
• yeti
• spermaceti

Kids Definition

spaghetti

noun

spa·​ghet·​ti spə-ˈget-ē 

: a food made chiefly of a mixture of flour and water dried in the form of thin solid strings

Etymology

from Italian spaghetti "pasta made in long strings," from spaghetti, plural of spaghetto "little string," from spago "string"

Word Origin

The Italian word spago means "cord, string." The suffix -etto in Italian, like the suffix -ette in English, means "little one." Added together, spago and -etto become spaghetto, which means "little string." "Little string" describes very well the shape of a strand of spaghetti. The word spaghetti is actually the plural form of spaghetto.