CALAMUS

quill, calamus, shaft

(noun) the hollow spine of a feather

Calamus, genus Calamus

(noun) a genus of Sparidae

calamus

(noun) the aromatic root of the sweet flag used medicinally

calamus

(noun) any tropical Asian palm of the genus Calamus; light tough stems are a source of rattan canes

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

calamus (usually uncountable, plural calamuses or calami)

The sweet flag, Acorus calamus.

(ornithology) A quill; the hard, horny, hollow, and more or less transparent part of the stem or scape of a feather.

(Christianity, historical) synonym of fistula

Source: Wiktionary

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Cal"a*mus, n.; pl. Calami. Etym: [L., a reed. See Halm.]

1. (Bot.)

Definition: The indian cane, a plant of the Palm family. It furnishes the common rattan. See Rattan, and Dragon's blood.

2. (Bot.)

Definition: A species of Acorus (A. calamus), commonly called calamus, or sweet flag. The root has a pungent, aromatic taste, and is used in medicine as a stomachic; the leaves have an aromatic odor, and were formerly used instead of rushes to strew on floors.

3. (Zoöl.)

Definition: The horny basal portion of a feather; the barrel or quill.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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