English Explanatory Dictionary

macaroni

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A type of pasta in the form of short tubes, typically boiled and served in soup, with a sauce, or in melted cheese; a dish of this.
  2. Pasta, particularly thicker noodles, spaghetti.
  3. Synonym of gnocchi (“Italian dumpling made of potato or semolina”).
  4. A dandy or fop, particularly in the 18th century a young Englishman who had travelled in Europe and subsequently dressed and spoke in an ostentatiously affected Continental manner.
  5. A 19th-century quarter-silver dollar coin, typically a full 2-real coin or a quarter clipping of an 8-real coin from Central or South America.
  6. Ellipsis of macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus).
  7. Synonym of Italian (“a person from Italy or of Italian ethnicity”).
  8. Ellipsis of macaroni tool.
  9. Synonym of lizard canary.
  10. A mix of languages in macaronic verse.
  11. Nonsense; meaningless talk.
adj
  1. Chic, fashionable, stylish; in the manner of a macaroni.
noun
  1. A macaroon.

Pronunciation

/mɑk.əˈɹəʊ.ni/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-macaroni.wav măk'ə-rōʹnē /ˌmæk.əˈɹoʊ.ni/ /mak.əˈɹəʊ.ni/ /ˌmækəˈɹoʊni/

Word forms

macaroni macaronis macaronies maccaroni maccheroni mac more macaroni most macaroni

Etymology

From Italian maccaroni (plural of maccarone (archaic variant of maccheroni (“fool”))), of uncertain origin. Variously derived from late Byzantine Greek μακαρία (makaría, “food made from barley”), from Ancient Greek μάκαρ (mákar, “blessed; favored by the gods”), or from maccare (archaic variant of ammaccare (“to bruise; to crush”)), from Latin maccāre of the same meaning. Compare Sicilian maccarruni (“a single piece of macaroni”). * As a fop, apparently from the British Macaroni Club rather than from Italian use of maccarone for fools and bumpkins. * As a former form of currency, used to calque Spanish macuquino (18th-century colonial slang for a similarly clipped coin).

Synonyms

macaroni noodle pasta paste gnocchi cockscomb popinjay poseur barbermonger beau blade blood buck carpet knight dandy dike dood dude dudelet exquisite fashionable fast man fine gentleman fop foretop fribble gallant go jack-a-dandy Jemmy-Jessamy jetter masher metrosexual mignon petit maître pretty boy prig puss-gentleman smart spark spiff swell tippy toff Italian lizard canary absurdity all my eye all my eye and Betty Martin applesauce bafflegab balderdash balls baloney banana oil Bandini baragouin batcrap batshit bilgewater

Related words

macaronic

Derived words

beefaroni Chinese macaroni elbow macaroni holy macaroni mac and cheesy macaronian macaroni and cheese macaroni and gravy macaroni cane macaroni cheese macaroni dealer macaroni dress macaroni fiddle macaroni gin macaroni intelligencer macaroni marquis macaroni penguin macaroni philosopher macaroni pie macaroni pudding macaroni salad macaroni shrug macaronism macaroni soup macaroni stake macaroni stall macaroni tool macaroni train macaroni wheat macaronyish monkeyrony pipe macaroni stuffaroni tenderoni
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