calamus

noun

cal·​a·​mus ˈka-lə-məs 

plural calami ˈka-lə-ˌmī 

-ˌmē

1

a

: sweet flag

b

: the aromatic peeled and dried rhizome of the sweet flag that is the source of a carcinogenic essential oil

2

: the hollow basal portion of a feather below the vane : quill

Examples of calamus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Though the calamus was visible in the 1860s and included in drawings of the fossil at the time, wear on the specimen caused the feature to fade from view. —Ryan Carney, National Geographic, 30 Sep. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Latin, reed, reed pen, from Greek kalamos — more at haulm

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Medical Definition

calamus

noun

cal·​a·​mus ˈkal-ə-məs 

plural calami -ˌmī, -ˌmē 

1

: a perennial marsh herb (Acorus calamus) native to Asia but introduced to Europe and North America that was used especially formerly as a flavoring agent and in alternative medicine but is now banned for these uses in several countries because of demonstrated carcinogenicity and toxicity in laboratory animals : sweet flag

2

: the aromatic peeled and dried rhizome of the calamus that is the source of a carcinogenic essential oil