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

Hurricane Gabrielle spaghetti models Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025

Hence the over-all feeling of spaghetti being thrown at so many screens. —Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2025

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain and return to pot. —Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 24 Sep. 2025

Manong’s focus will center Ihawan-style cuisine—think skewers and longanisa sausage made in-house—plus comfort dishes like Filipino spaghetti with housemade banana ketchup and Carvel-style ube ice cream cake for dessert. —Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Sep. 2025

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.