Standard Lemma guide
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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
noun
Any of numerous freshwater decapod crustaceans in superfamily Astacoidea or Parastacoidea, resembling the related lobster but usually much smaller.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Any of numerous freshwater decapod crustaceans in superfamily Astacoidea or Parastacoidea, resembling the related lobster but usually much smaller.
A freshwater crustacean (family Cambaridae), sometimes used as an inexpensive seafood or as fish bait.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: New-England, Pennsylvania
Qualifier: Upper Midwestern US
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A rock lobster (family Palinuridae).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Australia, New-Zealand, South-Africa
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A freshwater crayfish (family Parastacidae), such as the gilgie, marron, or yabby.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Australia
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The species Thenus orientalis of the slipper lobster family (Scyllaridae).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Singapore
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To catch crayfish.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Alternative spelling of crawfish (to backpedal, desert, or withdraw).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, alternative
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
large edible marine crustacean having a spiny carapace but lacking the large pincers of true lobsters
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: spiny lobster, langouste, rock lobster, crawfish, sea crawfish
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: lobster
noun
small freshwater decapod crustacean that resembles a lobster
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: crawfish, crawdad, crawdaddy
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: decapod crustacean, decapod
Narrower terms: Old World crayfish, ecrevisse, American crayfish
noun
tiny lobster-like crustaceans usually boiled briefly
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: crawfish, crawdad, ecrevisse
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: shellfish
noun
warm-water lobsters without claws; those from Australia and South Africa usually marketed as frozen tails; caught also in Florida and California
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: spiny lobster, langouste, rock lobster
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: shellfish
History
Alteration (by folk etymological influence of fish) of Middle English crevis (whence modern dialectal crevis), from Old French crevice ("crayfish"; > Modern French: écrevisse), from Frankish *krebitja (“crayfish”), diminutive of Frankish *krebit (“crab”), from Proto-Germanic *krabitaz (“crab, cancer”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *gerbh-, *grebh- (“to scratch, crawl”), or from a substrate word folk-etymologically influenced by this root. Akin to Old High German krebiz (Modern German Krebs (“crustacean, crab, crayfish”)), Middle Low German krēvet (“crab, crayfish”), Dutch kreeft (“crayfish, lobster”), Old English crabba (“crab”). More at crab. Doublet of crevette, crevis, and Krebs.
Across languages
134 source translations are retained for this English entry.
