plural squid or squids
: any of an order (Teuthoidea) of cephalopods having eight short arms and two usually longer tentacles, a long tapered body, a caudal fin on each side, and usually a slender internal chitinous support
Examples of squid in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Maddalena Fossati, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Apr. 2024
Their diet consists of squids, sharks, skates and fish, NOAA reports.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
The black splotch on the plate is charred eggplant puree, colored with squid ink.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024
The menu might include squid ink tagliatelle with avocado and smoked herring eggs, and an apricot dessert with a chestnut honey mousse.
—Caitie Kelly Gisela Williams Camille Sojit Pejcha Lindsay Talbot Roxanne Fequiere Alexander Lobrano, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024
In Norway and Iceland, legend has it that the Kraken, a giant sea monster similar to a squid or octopus, is lurking in local seas, only to occasionally rise and go on a rampage.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2024
Scientists have discovered that various deep-sea creatures, including fish, squid and jellyfish, use specific patterns of light emission as part of their mating rituals.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Popular baits include shrimp, squid or pieces of dead herring, pikeminnow or sucker.
—Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024
Other staples include eel, squid (calamari), muscles, shrimp, anchovy, crab, lobster, and whole fish.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 1 Dec. 2023
Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 26 Sep. 2011
Commercial fishing -- which has resulted in some penguins ending up as bycatch -- has reduced the availability of the small fish and squid the penguins feed on, and fluctuating sea temperatures due to climate change have altered the distribution of their prey.
—CNN, 30 May 2022
This trick may give Humboldt squid an advantage over competitors that need to stay in warm, shallow waters all day.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 27 May 2014
The impact on certain species like squid off the coast of South America is difficult to measure exactly.
—Claire Fu, New York Times, 26 Sep. 2022
Don't miss the premiere where Tucci travels to Venice to try the local delicacies from baccalà mantecato to squid ink risotto.
—Silvia Marchetti, CNN, 26 Apr. 2022
According to the Pacific Fisheries Information Network, squid harvests in Oregon went from zero in 2015 to 1,260 metric tons in 2016 and a record 4,667 tons in 2020.
—Tribune News Service, Arkansas Online, 20 Feb. 2022
Even the Chengdu squid with spicy salt and hot peppers — a name that telegraphs its intentions — escalated its heat slowly, bite after bite, instead of blasting its way to my heart.
—Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2022
Noun
For lunch, have linguine with squid ink or, for stronger palates, the very Venetian bigoli in salsa—pasta with anchovies and onions.
—Maddalena Fossati, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Apr. 2024
Their diet consists of squids, sharks, skates and fish, NOAA reports.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
The black splotch on the plate is charred eggplant puree, colored with squid ink.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024
The menu might include squid ink tagliatelle with avocado and smoked herring eggs, and an apricot dessert with a chestnut honey mousse.
—Caitie Kelly Gisela Williams Camille Sojit Pejcha Lindsay Talbot Roxanne Fequiere Alexander Lobrano, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024
In Norway and Iceland, legend has it that the Kraken, a giant sea monster similar to a squid or octopus, is lurking in local seas, only to occasionally rise and go on a rampage.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2024
Scientists have discovered that various deep-sea creatures, including fish, squid and jellyfish, use specific patterns of light emission as part of their mating rituals.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Popular baits include shrimp, squid or pieces of dead herring, pikeminnow or sucker.
—Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024
Other staples include eel, squid (calamari), muscles, shrimp, anchovy, crab, lobster, and whole fish.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 1 Dec. 2023
Verb
Hundreds of animals can do the same thing, from fireflies to squid to deep-sea fish.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 26 Sep. 2011
Commercial fishing -- which has resulted in some penguins ending up as bycatch -- has reduced the availability of the small fish and squid the penguins feed on, and fluctuating sea temperatures due to climate change have altered the distribution of their prey.
—CNN, 30 May 2022
This trick may give Humboldt squid an advantage over competitors that need to stay in warm, shallow waters all day.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 27 May 2014
The impact on certain species like squid off the coast of South America is difficult to measure exactly.
—Claire Fu, New York Times, 26 Sep. 2022
Don't miss the premiere where Tucci travels to Venice to try the local delicacies from baccalà mantecato to squid ink risotto.
—Silvia Marchetti, CNN, 26 Apr. 2022
According to the Pacific Fisheries Information Network, squid harvests in Oregon went from zero in 2015 to 1,260 metric tons in 2016 and a record 4,667 tons in 2020.
—Tribune News Service, Arkansas Online, 20 Feb. 2022
Even the Chengdu squid with spicy salt and hot peppers — a name that telegraphs its intentions — escalated its heat slowly, bite after bite, instead of blasting its way to my heart.
—Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'squid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near squid
Cite this Entry
“Squid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squid. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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