Māc'a-rō'nī1, n.
n. [Prov. It. macaroni, It. maccheroni, Sp. maccarrones, from Gr. μακαρία, βρῶμα ἐκ ζωμοῦ καὶ ἀλφίτων, Hesych., properly happiness, bliss, i. e., a very dainty food, from μάκαρ, μακάριος, blessed, happy.
Sense 1. An article of food composed of a paste chiefly of wheat flour made into long, slender tubes; Italian or Genoese paste.
Sense 2. A medley; something extravagant, to please an idle fancy.
Sense 3. A sort of droll or fool; a fop; a finical fellow; a beau; an exquisite.
Sense 4. (pl.) (Am. Hist.) A body of soldiers from Maryland, in the war of the Revolution, so called on account of their showy uniform.
These were Haslet’s Delaware and Smallwood’s Maryland regiments; the latter the Macaronis, in scarlet and buff, who had outshone, in camp, their yeoman fellow-soldiers in homespun. W. Irving.
It was indeed a desperate fight, and now Smallwood’s Macaronis showed their game spirit. W. Irving.