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

The pepperonis are sautéed in oil with onion, then stirred into a rich tomato sauce that’s poured over thin spaghetti noodles (or whatever other pasta shape your crew likes). — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026

Rather than generating videos one still image at a time—Will Smith eating spaghetti is Eadweard Muybridge’s horse for the internet age—these newer programs can generate a short video clip all at once. — Kara McGrath, Allure, 12 Aug. 2026

The Running Man star kept things casual in a neutral T-shirt and green pants, while the Landman actress wore a white spaghetti-strap top and jeans. — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 11 Aug. 2026

Entrées include a wide array of options, from a red wine pot roast or spaghetti and meatballs to chicken fingers or short rib mac and cheese. — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Aug. 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.