Definitions for: Crawfish


[n] large edible marine crustacean having a spiny carapace but lacking the large pincers of true lobsters
[n] small freshwater decapod crustacean that resembles a lobster
[n] tiny lobster-like crustaceans usually boiled briefly
[v] make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity; "We'll have to crawfish out from meeting with him"; "He backed out of his earlier promise"; "The aggressive investment company pulled in its horns"



Webster (1913) Definition: Craw"fish` (kr[add]"f[i^]sh`), Crayfish Cray"fish`
(kr[=a]"f[i^]sh`), n.; pl. -fishes or -fish. [Corrupted
fr. OE. crevis, creves, OF. crevice, F. ['e]crevisse, fr.
OHG. krebiz crab, G. krebs. See Crab. The ending -fish
arose from confusion with E. fish.] (Zo["o]l.)
Any crustacean of the family Astacid[ae], resembling the
lobster, but smaller, and found in fresh waters. Crawfishes
are esteemed very delicate food both in Europe and America.
The North American species are numerous and mostly belong to
the genus Cambarus. The blind crawfish of the Mammoth Cave
is Cambarus pellucidus. The common European species is
Astacus fluviatilis.

Synonyms: back away, back out, crawdad, crawdad, crawdaddy, crawfish out, crayfish, crayfish, ecrevisse, langouste, pull back, pull in one's horns, retreat, rock lobster, sea crawfish, spiny lobster, withdraw

See Also: American crayfish, American crayfish, Astacidae, Astacura, decapod, decapod crustacean, ecrevisse, family Astacidae, genus Palinurus, lobster, Old World crayfish, Old World crayfish, Palinurus, shellfish

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