Word Study
crayfish
CIDE DICTIONARY
crayfish, n. [Corrupted fr. OE. crevis, creves, OF. crevice, F. écrevisse, fr. OHG. krebiz crab, G. krebs. See Crab. The ending -fish arose from confusion with E. fish.].
- Any decapod crustacean of the family
Astacidæ (generaCambarus andCambarus ), 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 genusCambarus . The blind crawfish of the Mammoth Cave isCambarus pellucidus . The common European species isAstacus fluviatilis . [1913 Webster] - tiny lobsterlike crustaceans usually boiled briefly. [WordNet 1.5]
- a large edible marine crustacean having a spiny carapace but lacking the large pincers of true lobsters. [WordNet 1.5]
crayfish, n.
See Crawfish. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
crayfish, n. (pl. same)
1 a small lobster-like freshwater crustacean.
2 a crawfish.
1 a small lobster-like freshwater crustacean.
2 a crawfish.
Etymology
ME f. OF crevice, crevis, ult. f. OHG krebiz CRAB(1): assim. to FISH(1)
DEVIL DICTIONARY
crayfish
n. A small crustacean very much resembling the lobster, but less indigestible.
In this small fish I take it that human wisdom is admirably
figured and symbolized; for whereas the crayfish doth move only
backward, and can have only retrospection, seeing naught but the
perils already passed, so the wisdom of man doth not enable him to
avoid the follies that beset his course, but only to apprehend
their nature afterward.
Sir James Merivale
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