macaroni

noun

mac·a·ro·ni ˌma-kə-ˈrō-nē

Synonyms of macaroni next

: pasta made from semolina and shaped in the form of slender tubes

plural macaronis or macaronies [Macaroni Club, a group of such Englishmen]

: a member of a class of traveled young Englishmen of the late 18th and early 19th centuries who affected foreign ways

: an affected young man : fop

: macaroni penguin

Did you know?

As you may have suspected, the macaroni in the song "Yankee Doodle" is not the familiar food. The feather in Yankee Doodle's cap apparently makes him a macaroni in the now rare "fop" or "dandy" sense. The sense appears to have originated with a club established in London by a group of young, well-traveled Englishmen in the 1760s. The founders prided themselves on their appearance, sense of style, and manners, and they chose the name Macaroni Club to indicate their worldliness. Because macaroni was, at the time, a new and rather exotic food in England, the name was meant to demonstrate how stylish the club's members were. The members were themselves called macaronis, and eventually macaroni became synonymous with dandy and fop.

Examples of macaroni in a Sentence

the glitter rock of the 1970s seemed more about mascaraed macaronis than about music

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.

On Sunday, several former chapter members gathered at the center over collard greens, chicken thighs and macaroni to celebrate the organization being permanently written into the history books. —

Karina Atkins, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2024 Sauté the filling, add the macaroni, and use the PRESSURE COOK setting on your Instant Pot to cook the ingredients. —

Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2024 With two teenage boys and running around a lot, the convenience of making Rice-A-Roni macaroni is perfect. —

Nasha Smith, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024 Spread macaroni mixture in a greased 13×9-inch baking pan. —

Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for macaroni

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from regional Italian, plural of macarone (Tuscan maccherone) "tubular pasta," earlier also "stuffed pasta of various shapes," probably borrowed from Middle Greek makarṓneia "funeral hymn," later with the presumed meaning "food served at a funeral banquet" (whence Modern Greek dialect makarōniá in this sense), of uncertain origin

Note: Though the Greek origin of Italian macaroni appears likely, many details are unclear. It has been speculated that the word makarṓneia is a blend of makários "blessed" and aiṓnios "eternal" (words perhaps coupled in funeral orations and memorial services), though this etymology is quite tenuous. The development of the food sense is also difficult to explain—perhaps it has developed through association with Greek makaría "dish of broth and barley groats," an apparently ancient word of uncertain origin attested only in the work of the Greek lexicographer Hesychius (5th-6th century a.d.).

First Known Use

1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of macaroni was in 1673

See more words from the same year