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Crayfish
Definitions
- 1 Any of numerous freshwater decapod crustaceans in superfamily Astacoidea or Parastacoidea, resembling the related lobster but usually much smaller.
- 2 large edible marine crustacean having a spiny carapace but lacking the large pincers of true lobsters wordnet
- 3 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. New-England, Pennsylvania
- 4 small freshwater decapod crustacean that resembles a lobster wordnet
- 5 A rock lobster (family Palinuridae). Australia, New-Zealand, South-Africa
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- 6 tiny lobster-like crustaceans usually boiled briefly wordnet
- 7 A freshwater crayfish (family Parastacidae), such as the gilgie, marron, or yabby. Australia
- 8 warm-water lobsters without claws; those from Australia and South Africa usually marketed as frozen tails; caught also in Florida and California wordnet
- 9 The species Thenus orientalis of the slipper lobster family (Scyllaridae). Singapore
- 1 To catch crayfish. intransitive
- 2 Alternative spelling of crawfish (to backpedal, desert, or withdraw). alt-of, alternative
Etymology
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.
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.
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