crayfish

crayfish Definition

cray·fish (krā′fis̸h′)

noun pl. crayfish -·fish′, crayfishes -·fish′es

☆ any of various families of small, usually freshwater decapods somewhat resembling little lobsters
spiny lobster
the flesh of a crayfish used as food, esp. in Cajun and Creole cooking

Etymology: altered, by assoc. with fish < ME crevise < OFr crevice < OHG krebiz: see crab

crayfish Usage Examples

Converse of object

claw: These larger, more aggressive crayfish easily out-compete the white clawed crayfish, which will be moved to a water course in North Somerset.
catch: Unfortunately the locals cooked up a foul concoction of chickens and recently caught crayfish from the local toilet bowl masquerading as a lake.
kill: In 2004 it killed 5,000 native crayfish in Cumbria ' s River Mint.
introduce: The introduced American signal crayfish has decimated our native population due to a fungus which it carries.
include: Freshwater crustaceans, including crayfish and some river prawns and river crabs, have local market value in many regions.
have: The Lackey and Finn Rivers have the white-clawed crayfish.

Adjective modifier

white-clawed: For more about white-clawed crayfish, see: Use the search facility on the Environment Agency main page to find articles about crayfish.
non-native: No diseased or non-native crayfish were found during the study.
native: Signal crayfish also carry crayfish plague, which is fatal to the native crayfish.
American: The similarly north American signal crayfish is another unwanted introduction.
British: The British crayfish are being offered a safe refuge in a Leeds lake.

Modifies a noun

pallipes: Native crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes were recorded from the western section of this brook in the 1960s.
austropotamobius: Native crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes were recorded from the western section of this brook in the 1960s.
tail: Poached salmon in a cream and mustard sauce Crayfish tails provencale Sirloin steak if you don't feel fishy!
population: Whether this is due to the explosion of the signal crayfish population, global warming or better water quality nobody knows.
habitat: The Environment Agency plans to repair crayfish habitats in the future.
specie: Direct competition for food and habitat from non-native crayfish: three non-native crayfish species are now breeding in the wild.

Noun used with modifier

freshwater: It is the only species of freshwater crayfish which is native to the UK.
signal: Signal crayfish also carry crayfish plague, which is fatal to the native crayfish.
water: Known not only for its water birds but also for its fresh water crayfish population.

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