Spanish word

pulpo

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈpulpo/

Meaning

  • masculine nounoctopus

Example

Mi plato favorito es el pulpo.

My favorite dish is octopus.

Illustration for pulpo (octopus)

More examples

¿Quieres probar el pulpo a la gallega?

Do you want to try the Galician-style octopus?

Core concept

Soft-bodied marine animal with a rounded head and eight arms lined with suction cups.

Common phrases

  • pulpo a la gallega

    Galician-style octopus

  • ensalada de pulpo

    octopus salad

  • pulpo a la plancha

    grilled octopus

Similar words

calamar: Fast-swimming cephalopod with a slender, elongated body and long feeding tentacles.
sepia: Flattened cephalopod with short arms that can squirt ink to flee predators.
pescado: Fish sold or prepared specifically for eating as food.
marisco: Various edible marine animals, especially shellfish and crustaceans.

Definition in Spanish

Pulpo es un animal marino blando con ocho tentáculos con ventosas que le sirven para moverse y para atrapar su alimento.

Word origin

From Greek polypous 'many-footed' via Latin polypus, with poly- meaning 'many' and pous meaning 'foot'.

Usage tips

  • On Spanish menus pulpo commonly appears in dishes such as pulpo a la gallega and refers specifically to octopus, not to squid or cuttlefish.

Word lists with this word