calamary

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: cal=a=mar=y

CIDE DICTIONARY

calamary, n. [LL. calamarium inkstand, fr. L. calamus a reed pen: cf. F. calmar, calemar, pen case, calamar.].

 A cephalopod, belonging to the genus Loligo and related genera. There are many species. They have a sack of inklike fluid which they discharge from the siphon tube, when pursued or alarmed, in order to confuse their enemies. Their shell is a thin horny plate, within the flesh of the back, shaped very much like a quill pen. In America they are called squids. See Squid.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

calamary, n. (pl. -ies) any cephalopod mollusc with a long tapering penlike horny internal shell, esp. a squid of the genus Loligo.

Etymology

med.L calamarium pen-case f. L calamus pen