spaghetti

noun

spa·​ghet·​ti spə-ˈge-tē How to pronounce spaghetti (audio)
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 adjective

Examples of spaghetti in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Tropical Storm Rafael spaghetti models Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024 While the storm's exact trajectory remains uncertain, the spaghetti model—a series of computer simulations that predict storm paths—highlights several possible scenarios for Rafael's movement. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024 Hurricane Milton path Hurricane Milton spaghetti models Weather forecast for Central Indiana, per NWS While Hurricane Milton churns through the Gulf of Mexico and then into the Atlantic, its effects on Indiana's weather appear negligible. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Oct. 2024 Or use them to make a compound butter for use in other dishes or put them in a classic spaghetti Puttanesca. Liza B. Zimmerman, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for spaghetti 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of spaghetti was in 1874

Dictionary Entries Near spaghetti

Cite this Entry

“Spaghetti.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spaghetti. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

spaghetti

noun
spa·​ghet·​ti spə-ˈget-ē How to pronounce spaghetti (audio)
: 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.

More from Merriam-Webster on spaghetti

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!