WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Cal"a*mus
Part of Speech : n.;
Etymology : [L., a reed. See Halm.]
Definition : 1. (Bot.)

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

2. (Bot.)

Defn: 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. (Zo?l.)

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

pl. Calami.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913