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scampi

American  
[skam-pee, skahm-] / ˈskæm pi, ˈskɑm- /

noun

Italian Cooking.
  • scampi
    plural
  1. a large shrimp or prawn.

  2. a dish of shrimp or prawns grilled or sautéed in oil or butter and garlic.


scampi British  
/ ˈskæmpɪ /

noun

  1. (usually functioning as singular) large prawns, usually eaten fried in breadcrumbs

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of scampi

1920–25; < Italian, plural of scampo

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Shrimp scampi was one of the most profitable dishes to serve.

From The Wall Street Journal May 15, 2026

Kristin McGrath, a senior editor for the deal-hunting site The Krazy Coupon Lady, recommends going for the coconut shrimp or shrimp scampi and passing on the shrimp linguini alfredo.

From MarketWatch May 14, 2026

The last bag of scampi and some oven chips were mine.

From BBC Jan. 9, 2026

Products with mid- to late-October sell-by dates included Sprouts Farmers Market smoked mozzarella pasta salad and Scott & Jon’s shrimp scampi with linguini bowl, a precooked frozen meal.

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 5, 2025

I’m going to order shrimp scampi in a minute.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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