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
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
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
3 May 2025
(adjective) worth having or seeking or achieving; “a desirable job”; “computer with many desirable features”; “a desirable outcome”
The world’s most expensive coffee costs more than US$700 per kilogram. Asian palm civet – a cat-like creature in Indonesia, eats fruits, including select coffee cherries. It excretes partially digested seeds that produce a smooth, less acidic brew of coffee called kopi luwak.
