calamus

(kalə məs)

noun pl. calami

  1. sweet flag
  2. any of a genus (Calamus) of climbing palms of the Old World that yield rattan
  3. the quill of a feather

Origin: ME < L < Gr kalamos, a stalk, reed, stubble < IE base *olem-, stalk, reed > Ger halm, L culmus

See calamus in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. cal·a·mi (-mīˌ)
  1. b. The aromatic underground stem of the sweet flag, yielding an oil used in perfumery.
  2. Any of various chiefly tropical Asian climbing palms of the genus Calamus, having strong flexible stems used as a source of rattan.
  3. See quill.

Origin:

Origin: Latin, reed

Origin: , from Greek kalamos

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