squid

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈskwid 

plural squid or squids

: any of an order (Teuthoidea) of cephalopods having eight short arms and two usually longer tentacles, a long tapered body, a caudal fin on each side, and usually a slender internal chitinous support

squid

2 of 3

verb

squidded; squidding

intransitive verb

: to fish with or for squid

SQUID

3 of 3

noun (2)

ˈskwid 

: an instrument for detecting and measuring very weak magnetic fields

Examples of squid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

To see if the California two-spot octopus and bobtail squid chromosomes with many transposable elements matched, the researchers compared the genetic content on the outlier chromosomes for the two species. —Viviane Callier, Scientific American, 3 Sep. 2024

Although the violent encounter at sea that day was unusual, the incursion into Argentine waters by a Chinese squid jigger was not. —Ian Urbina, TIME, 1 Aug. 2024

The nodules form over the course of millions of years through chemical processes that cause metals to precipitate out of water around shell fragments, squid beaks and shark teeth and cover a surprisingly large area of the seafloor. —Katie Hunt, CNN, 22 July 2024

Brooding patterns are even more impressive considering gestation can take as long as 52 months for some squids. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 12 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

origin unknown

Noun (2)

superconducting quantum interference device

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1613, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1859, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1967, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing squid

• giant squid

Kids Definition

squid

noun

ˈskwid

plural squid or squids

: any of numerous sea mollusks that are cephalopods and have eight short arms and two usually longer tentacles, a long thin body with a fin on each side, and a slender internal shell