squid

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Squid, octopus, and cuttlefish are all soft-bodied sea animals, but they are not interchangeable. A squid has a long tube-like body, side fins, and ten limbs, including two longer tentacles. An octopus has a rounder body and eight arms of similar length, and people often imagine it crawling over rocks or the sea floor. A cuttlefish is broader and flatter, with a fin running around most of its body. In cooking, squid is the normal word for both the animal and its meat, while calamari is mostly used for a prepared dish on a menu. Say grilled squid for the animal as food, but fried calamari when you mean the restaurant dish.

Etymology

The history of squid is uncertain. The word appeared in English in the early 1600s. Some scholars think it may be linked to squirt, perhaps because the animal moves by shooting water. Others connect it to squill, an older name for a shellfish. No single explanation has been accepted by everyone.