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

Jets of cream came out of his nostrils like spaghetti. —John McPhee, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026

This quick-cooking protein is the foundation of so many comforting meals—spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, casseroles, meatballs, tacos, and of course, burgers. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026

The micro workouts included moves like rotini spiral planks, spaghetti curls and penne plié squats, along with star jacks, which were inspired by the new Protein+ star shape. —Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026

This Prettygarden spaghetti-strap maxi dress is lightweight and boasts an elastic high waist and adjustable straps. —Amanda Eyre Ward, Travel + Leisure, 13 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.