lobster

American  

[lob-ster] / ˈlɒb stər /

noun

• lobster,
  plural
• lobsters
  plural

1. any of various large, edible, marine, usually dull-green, stalk-eyed decapod crustaceans of the family Homaridae, especially of the genus Homarus, having large, asymmetrical pincers on the first pair of legs, one used for crushing and the other for cutting and tearing: the shell turns bright red when cooked.

2. spiny lobster.

3. any of various similar crustaceans, as certain crayfishes.

4. the edible meat of these animals.

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lobster British  

/ ˈlɒbstə /

noun

1. any of several large marine decapod crustaceans of the genus Homarus, esp H. vulgaris, occurring on rocky shores and having the first pair of limbs modified as large pincers

2. any of several similar crustaceans, esp the spiny lobster

3. the flesh of any of these crustaceans, eaten as a delicacy

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lobster
  plural
• lobsters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lobster

before 1000; Middle English lopster, Old English loppestre literally, spidery creature ( loppe spider ( see lob ¹) + -stre -ster ); cf. lop ¹

Explanation

A lobster is a hard-shelled animal that lives in salt water and has two big front claws, or pincers. People who are familiar with red cooked lobsters might be surprised to see that when they're alive they are brown, gray, or even blue. Lobsters are large crustaceans, which means they're related to shrimp, crabs, crawfish, and even barnacles. They live and feed on the bottom of the ocean, crawling on their ten legs and eating fish, worms, and sea plants. As a food, lobster is considered a delicacy today — although before the mid-19th century, it was thought of as food for poor people and prisoners in coastal New England.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lobster lobsters

Ynyshir Restaurant near Machynlleth in mid Wales was previously ordered to stop serving raw lobster after the council found "significant hazards" were not properly identified.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Over a dinner that included multiple salad courses and lobster tail, the men discussed recent books they read.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

“The loss of an egg-bearing female lobster can have a substantial impact on the health of the lobster fishery and directly impacts legal anglers,” the department wrote in the Facebook post.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

California’s spiny lobster season opened in October and closed on March 18.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

And Georgia is too busy with her lobster to get a word in.

From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi

Authorities ultimately seized 34 lobsters, including several egg-bearing females, that were later returned to the ocean.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

Split the lobsters lengthwise with a sharp, heavy knife, brush them with butter and grill them once your guests have arrived, since they cook very quickly.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

Some users online said they used them to invest in stocks, claiming their "lobsters" analysed the best times to buy and sell, and even did the deed, despite the risk of costly errors.

From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2026

At Monday's "ClawCon" event in Tokyo, where many of the hundreds of participants were dressed as lobsters, OpenClaw demos were held on stage and experts helped attendees install their agents.

From Barron's ● Mar. 30, 2026

How he had traded lobsters for milk at the Cuttyhunk grocery, poured it in a little flask, and fashioned a nipple from a clam neck made to squirt seawater.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk

Related Words

• clam
• conch
• crawfish
• crustacean
• mollusk
• mussel
• oyster
• prawn
• scallop
• shrimp
• snail