Crayfish Definition

krāfĭsh
crawfish, crawfishes, crayfishes
noun
Any of various families of small, usually freshwater decapods somewhat resembling little lobsters.
Webster's New World
Webster's New World
The flesh of a crayfish used as food, esp. in Cajun and Creole cooking.
Webster's New World
(Australia, New Zealand, South Africa) A rock lobster.
Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Crayfish

Noun

Singular:
crayfish
Plural:
crayfishes

Origin of Crayfish

  • Alteration (by folk-etymology, influenced by fish) of Middle English crevis, from Old French crevice ("crayfish"; > Modern French: écrevisse), from Old Frankish *krebitja (“crayfish”), diminutive of Old Frankish *krebit (“crab”), from Proto-Germanic *krabitaz (“crab, cancer”), from Proto-Indo-European *grebʰ-, *gerebʰ- (“to scratch, crawl”). Akin to Old High German krebiz ("edible crustacean, crab"; > Modern German Krebs (“crab”)), Middle Low German krēvet (“crab”), Dutch kreeft (“crayfish, lobster”), Old English crabba (“crab”). More at crab.

    From Wiktionary

  • By folk etymology from Middle English crevise from Old French crevice perhaps from Old High German krebiz edible crustacean gerbh- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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