What does "prawn" mean?
A crustacean of the suborder Dendrobranchiata.
Prawn
/pɹɔn/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A crustacean of the suborder Dendrobranchiata.
- Grammar: prawn is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: shrimp, blue point, clam, coquillage.
- Usage evidence: The prawn cocktail was delicious.
How to use "prawn"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "prawn" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "prawn" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "prawn" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "prawn" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "prawn" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "shrimp" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "prawn", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A crustacean of the suborder Dendrobranchiata. countable, uncountable
"The aphrodisiac nature of prawns is evident in an epigram by the Greek poet Asclepiades."
- 2 Alternative form of porn. alt-of, alternative
- 3 shrimp-like decapod crustacean having two pairs of pincers; most are edible wordnet
- 4 A crustacean, sometimes confused with shrimp. Commonwealth, countable, uncountable
- 5 any of various edible decapod crustaceans wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Synonym of butterface: A woman with an attractive body but an unattractive face. Australia, colloquial, countable, derogatory, uncountable
"She's a prawn!"
- 7 A fool, an idiot. Australia, countable, slang, uncountable
"This is utter dribble. I've not read much worse than this in a long time - and he admits he doesn't know - "or so I am told". Get real, you prawn."
Verb
- 1 To fish for prawns. intransitive
- 2 fish for prawns wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The prawn cocktail was delicious."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "prawn"?
Common synonyms include: shrimp, blue point, clam, coquillage, crab, crawdad.
How do you use "prawn" in a sentence?
The prawn cocktail was delicious.
How do you pronounce "prawn"?
Pronounced /pɹɔn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
First attested early 1400s as various Middle English forms prayne, prane, praune, and prawne, which present no clear cognates in languages other than English. The forms suggest a hypothetical Old English form *prægn, where *æg would have evolved into Middle English *ay, but it is unclear if the word is of Germanic origin, from another European language, or loaned from a substrate. In the Isle of Wight, a word prankle ("prawn") is recorded and thought to be related. Century, following Skeat, suggested transposition of an unrecorded Old French *parne, *perne related to Spanish perna (“a flat shellfish”), Old Italian perna and diminutive pernochie, parnocchie, glossed as "shrimps or prawne, fishes" by John Florio, but the OED considers Florio's entry incorrect and the suggested connection semantically and phonologically implausible. Etymology 1 sense 3 ("woman with attractive body and unattractive face") is from the idea of discarding the head of a prawn before eating it.
Etymology 2
An alternative spelling of pron (pronounced identically with cot-caught merger), which in turn is a corrupted spelling of porn.