spaghetti

/spəˈɡɛti/
nounBeginnerLoanword from Italianspaghetti
formal

A type of Italian pasta made from durum wheat, shaped as long, thin, cylindrical strands.

We had spaghetti with tomato sauce for dinner.

We enjoyed spaghetti carbonara at the Italian restaurant.

💡

The plural form 'spaghetti' is used both in English and Italian, though in Italian, the singular form 'spaghetto' is also used.

Collocations

spaghetti saucea sauce typically made with tomatoes, garlic, and herbs, served with spaghettispaghetti westerna genre of Western films characterized by their stylized violence and minimalist storytelling

Synonyms

Related Phrases

spaghetti junctionphrase
a complex interchange of roads or highways
spaghetti codephrase
poorly structured or tangled computer code

💡Pro Tip

Plural Form

Remember that 'spaghetti' is always plural in English, even when referring to a single serving.

📖Word Origin

From Italian 'spaghetti', plural of 'spaghetto', meaning 'thin string or twine', from Latin 'spagum', meaning 'twine or cord'.

📝Usage Notes

In English, 'spaghetti' is always used in the plural form, even when referring to a single strand. The term is also used metaphorically to describe tangled or intertwined things, such as 'spaghetti code' in programming.

Word Breakdown

spaghetti
thin, cylindrical pasta
root
English Dictionary