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

In this skillet spin on the humble Roman-style pasta, dry spaghetti cooks in just enough water to create the silky base of a brown butter-miso sauce. —Chadwick Boyd, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Feb. 2026

This slow-cooker version of our classic spaghetti casserole makes this dinner more satisfying and easier than ever before. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026

As part of the move, SDDG has expanded the Romanissimo menu with dishes that include burrata caprese salad, spaghetti carbonara and pinza la mortazza. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026

To finish the meal, Martha and chef Enrico Bartolini surprised Snoop with an order of classic spaghetti with meatballs, complete with a side of shredded cheddar cheese. —Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 20 Feb. 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.