cuttlebone en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- [-ɾ(ə)l-] (General-American)
- /ˈkʌt(ə)lˌboʊn/ (General-American)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈkʌtl̩bəʊn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English cotilbone [and other forms], from cotil, cutil, codel (“cuttlefish; cuttlebone”) (from Old English cudele (“cuttlefish”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gew- (“to bend, to curve; an arch; a vault”)) + bon (“bone”) (from Old English bān (“bone”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyh₂- (“to hit, strike; to cut, hew”)). The English word is analysable as cuttle (“cuttlefish”) + bone.
Meanings
- Synonym of cuttlefish bone (“the calcareous, oval-shaped internal shell of a cuttlefish (order Sepiida), originally used in powdered form as an antacid and for absorbing moisture or polishing objects, and now chiefly as a dietary supplement for cage birds”).
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| cuttlebones | Number=Plur | lexicographic |