calamus

American  

[kal-uh-muhs] / ˈkæl ə məs /

noun

plural

calami

1. the sweet flag, Acorus calamus.

2. its aromatic root.

3. any of various tropical Asian palms of the genus Calamus, some of which are a source of rattan.

4. the hollow base of a feather; a quill.

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calamus British  

/ ˈkæləməs /

noun

1. any tropical Asian palm of the genus Calamus, some species of which are a source of rattan and canes

2. another name for sweet flag

3. the aromatic root of the sweet flag

4. ornithol the basal hollow shaft of a feather; quill

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Etymology

Origin of calamus

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek kálamos reed, stalk

Example Sentences

In the garden grow "an orchard of pomegranates . . . spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense".

From The Guardian • Jan. 29, 2011

He will not let me buy a bit of candied calamus unless the boy is under ten, he is so afraid I shall be looked at.

From A Little Girl in Old Philadelphia by Douglas, Amanda Minnie

The central axis is divisible into two distinct parts,—a hollow, cylindrical, transparent calamus, or “quill,” the base of which is inserted into the skin, and a solid, quadrangular rhachis or “shaft” which supports the vane.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 2 "Fairbanks, Erastus" to "Fens" by Various

Cane, kān, n. the stem of one of the smaller palms—the calamus or rattan, or the larger grasses—bamboo and sugar-cane: a walking-stick.—v.t. to beat with a cane.—ns.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various

For indigestion and shortness of the breath we chewed calamus root or drank tea made from it.

From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves Georgia Narratives, Part 4 by Work Projects Administration

Related Words

• fringe
• plume