cuttle

Synonym of cuttlefish.

Noun

  1. Synonym of cuttlefish.

    Synonyms: cuttlefish

Origin

From Middle English cutil, codel, codul, from Old English cudele (“cuttlefish”), a diminutive from Proto-Germanic *kudilǭ, from Proto-Germanic *kuddô + -ilǭ, from Proto-Indo-European *gewt- (“pouch, sack”), from *gew- (“to bend, bow, arch, vault, curve”). Equivalent to cod + -le (diminutive suffix). Compare dialectal German Kudele (“cuttlefish”), Norwegian kaule (“cuttlefish”).

Forms

cuttles

Derived

cuttlebone

Noun obsolete

  1. A knife.
    • a sharpe cuttle - 1546, John Bale, The Actes of Englysh Votaries:

Origin

From Middle English coutel, from Old French coutel, coltel, cultel, from Latin cultellus. Doublet of couteau. See cutlass.

Forms

cuttles

Noun obsolete

  1. A foul-mouthed fellow.
    • An you play the saucy cuttle me. - c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio),...

Forms

cuttles