squid

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

squid, n. [Cf. Squirt.].

•  Any one of numerous species of ten-armed cephalopods having a long, tapered body, and a caudal fin on each side; especially, any species of Loligo, Ommastrephes, and related genera. See Calamary, Decacerata, Dibranchiata.  [1913 Webster]

  " Some of these squids are very abundant on the Atlantic coast of North America, and are used in large quantities for bait, especially in the cod fishery. The most abundant of the American squids are the northern squid (Ommastrephes illecebrosus), ranging from Southern New England to Newfoundland, and the southern squid (Loligo Pealii), ranging from Virginia to Massachusetts."  [1913 Webster]
•  A fishhook with a piece of bright lead, bone, or other substance, fastened on its shank to imitate a squid.  [1913 Webster]

Flying squid, Giant squid. (Zoöl.) See under Flying, and Giant. -- Squid hound (Zoöl.), the striped bass.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

squid, n. & v.
--n.
1 any of various ten-armed cephalopods, esp. of the genus Loligo, used as bait or food.
2 artificial bait for fish imitating a squid in form.
--v.intr. (squidded, squidding) fish with squid as bait.

Etymology

17th c.: orig. unkn.