*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of squid

Unknown. Perhaps a sailors' alteration of squirt.

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
verb

To fish with a squid fishhook. · To cause squidding (an improper, partial, parachute inflation, that results in the sides of the parachute folding in on the center, and pulsating back and forth).

noun

Any of several carnivorous marine cephalopod mollusks, of the order Teuthida, having a mantle, eight arms, and a pair of tentacles · A fishhook with a piece of bright lead, bone, or other substance fastened on its shank to imitate a squid. · A sailor in the Navy. · A quid; one pound sterling.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Unknown. Perhaps a sailors' alteration of squirt.

This page abbreviates 1 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "links": [
    [
      "squirt",
      "squirt#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To fish with a squid fishhook.",
        "To cause squidding (an improper, partial, parachute inflation, that results in the sides of the parachute folding in on the center, and pulsating back and forth)."
      ],
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        "Any of several carnivorous marine cephalopod mollusks, of the order Teuthida, having a mantle, eight arms, and a pair of tentacles",
        "A fishhook with a piece of bright lead, bone, or other substance fastened on its shank to imitate a squid.",
        "A sailor in the Navy.",
        "A quid; one pound sterling."
      ],
      "tags": [
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        "derogatory",
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A motorcyclist, especially a sport biker, characterized by reckless riding and lack of protective gear.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Possibly a blend of stupid + quick; "stupid, quick, under-dressed and imminently dead", a claimed origin, is probably a backronym.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "expansion": "blend of stupid + quick"
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  "links": [
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      "stupid",
      "stupid#English"
    ],
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      "quick#English"
    ],
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      "backronym",
      "backronym"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
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  "lexical": [
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      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

A South Korean children's game where players, divided into offense and defense, compete on a squid-shaped field; the offensive team tries to reach a designated area, and the defensive team attempts to block them.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Calque of Korean 오징어 (ojing'eo).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "1": "en",
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    }
  ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for squid →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-c3F1aWQ