squid

Everyday

1. A sea animal with a long soft body, eight arms and two longer tentacles, which can squirt ink to escape from danger. tree →
2. The flesh of this animal eaten as food, often fried in rings called calamari. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons, squid are molluscs (related to octopuses and snails) with no backbone. Pupils learn they swim fast by squirting water and hide with clouds of ink. The giant squid is one of the largest animals in the sea. In maths: a squid has 8 arms and 2 tentacles, 10 limbs in all. Phrases: «giant squid», «squid ink», «fried squid».

Examples

• A squid has eight arms and two long tentacles. tree →
• The squid squirted ink and swam away from the shark. tree →
• The giant squid lives deep in the ocean. tree →
• We ate fried squid rings at the beach café. tree →
• Squid have no bones in their bodies. tree →
• Three squid have thirty limbs altogether. tree →
• The diver saw a small squid glowing in the dark water. tree →
• They were like no walrus, sea lion, seal, bear, whale, shark, fish, squid, or scallop that Kotick had ever seen before. tree →

Note

Plural is usually «squid» (three squid), sometimes «squids». Trap: a squid is not an octopus; an octopus has 8 arms and no long tentacles, a squid has 8 arms + 2 tentacles. In maths problems, count 10 limbs per squid if arms and tentacles are both counted.