spaghetti

noun

spa·​ghet·​ti spə-ˈge-tē 

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

spə-ˈge-tē-ˌlīk 

adjective

Examples of spaghetti in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Tropical Storm Kiko spaghetti models Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. —Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025

Now, many creators will cherry-pick the most concerning data — like an outlying model in a spaghetti chart — and share it, oftentimes completely out of context, in hopes of making money. —Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025

Emma, 34, opted for a black chiffon, spaghetti-strap slip dress. —Skyler Caruso, People.com, 10 Sep. 2025

Many are cleverly connected to a spaghetti-like network of lazy rivers so guests can glide on a tube from the exit of one slide and float towards the next. —Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

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

Phrases Containing spaghetti

• spaghetti squash
• spaghetti strap
• spaghetti western

Rhymes for spaghetti

• confetti
• libretti
• betty
• chetty
• jetty
• petit
• sweaty
• yeti
• spermaceti

Kids Definition

spaghetti

noun

spa·​ghet·​ti spə-ˈget-ē 

: 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.