Phrase guide

cuttlefish bone

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌkʌtl̩fɪʃ ˈbəʊn/
  • General-American: /ˌkʌt(ə)lˌfɪʃ ˈboʊn/
  • General-American: [-ɾ(ə)l-]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -əʊn

1

noun

Meaning 1

The calcareous, oval-shaped internal shell of a cuttlefish (order Sepiida), originally used in powdered form as an antacid and for absorbing moisture or polishing objects, and now chiefly as a dietary supplement for cage birds.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cuttlebone, sepiostaire, sepium, osselet

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From cuttlefish + bone.

Across languages

Translations

37 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: لسان البحر — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Catalan: os de sípia — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Chinese: 墨賊船 /墨贼船 (ba̍k-cha̍t-chûn, ba̍t-cha̍t-chûn) — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Chinese Mandarin: 海螵蛸 (hǎipiāoxiāo) — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Chinese Mandarin: 螵蛸 (piāoxiāo) — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Chinese Mandarin: 烏賊骨 /乌贼骨 (wūzéigǔ) — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Czech: sépiová kost — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Dutch: schild — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Dutch: zeeschuim — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Finnish: valaansuomu — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • French: os de seiche — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • French: sépion — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Galician: pan cenzo — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • German: Schulp — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Greek: σουπιοκόκαλο (soupiokókalo) — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Ancient Greek: σήπιον (sḗpion) — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Hawaiian: puna — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Italian: osso de seppia — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Japanese: 甲 (kō) — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Khmer: អណ្ដាតសមុទ្រ (ɑndaat sa’mot) — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Korean: 오징어뼈 (ojing'eoppyeo) — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Macedonian: си́пина ко́ска (sípina kóska) — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Malay: tulang sotong — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hvalsprø — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Persian: کف دریا — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Polish: kość mątwia — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Portuguese: siba — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Russian: кость каракатицы (kostʹ karakaticy) — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Serbo-Croatian: sipina kȏst — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Spanish: jibión — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Tamil: கணவாய்த் தோடு (kaṇavāyt tōṭu) — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Thai: ลิ้นทะเล (lín-tá-lee) — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Turkish: mürekkep balığı kemiği — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Ukrainian: кі́стка карака́тиці (kístka karakátyci) — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Welsh: asgwrn ystifflog — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • Welsh: bron alarch — internal shell of a cuttlefish
  • West Flemish: zêeschuum — internal shell of a cuttlefish