colossal squid

noun

: an extremely large squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) occurring in deep waters of the Southern Ocean that is the largest known living invertebrate

… would like to try for observations of the colossal squid, the only one larger than a giant squid. Discovered only in the 1920s, colossal squid live in the Antarctic Ocean and grow to perhaps 46 feet.

—Dan Vergano, USA Today, 25 Jan. 2013

Fishermen working in the Antarctic have landed a huge surprise: the first adult colossal squid, Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni. A New Zealand vessel was deep fishing when it caught the squid, which is said to be male, 10 metres long and 450 kilograms in weight …

—New Scientist, 3 Mar. 2007

Word History

First Known Use

2003, in the meaning defined above

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